Ozzy’s death is not symbolic. His soul has separated from his body. His blood cooled. His lungs quit. But Ozzy didn’t disappear. He went somewhere. And so will you. You will either enter the presence of Christ or the horror of separation from Him.   I was 16 the first time I heard “Mr. Crowley.”... Continue Reading

What will my obituary cause others to ponder? What can I do now to make them linger then on the sweetness of the gospel and the hope that can be ours in Christ? Will they look back on my life and say, indeed, death was swallowed up in victory?   On July 24th, the famous wrestler, known... Continue Reading

I am not sure we are all thinking of this in the same way. When we talk about “preaching Christ,” it is not good enough to simply mention his name, speak of his death and resurrection or speak of the benefits we gain from him. The very Person of Christ must be put in front... Continue Reading

Newton never recognized “Amazing Grace” as anything remarkable or especially significant among his hymns…Its relative obscurity in Britain and his lack of personal references to the song suggest Newton had no idea how popular it would become or how powerful its influence would be. The song enjoyed much greater notoriety in America in the 19th... Continue Reading

The context of a sermon is far more like being gathered into the upper room with Jesus (John 13-17), where he washes his disciples’ feet, speaks to them of his love, joy and peace, in words saturated with grace, the likes of which none of us has ever seen. In the upper room, we get... Continue Reading

A good song is the melding of beautiful lyrics with an appropriate melody. We can have the most beautiful lyrics, but if they are trapped in an inappropriate melody, they will lose their luster and perhaps even communicate something that the lyrics do not intend. In the same way, the words/content of our sermon, no... Continue Reading

When the Devil tells you that you can avoid the ultimate choice between obedience to God and obedience to the world by privatizing your faith and becoming schizophrenic—that is, by following one law in church and a different law in parliament—this is a trick. You cannot have it both ways. Either Jesus is Lord of... Continue Reading

There’s more to Christ’s authority in the Church than meets the eye. Although church leaders constitute a visible government, they are only a fraction of the authority that Christ has vested in His Body through His Anointing in the Holy Spirit. The invisible anointing in the Holy Spirit, which confers authority on all believers, must... Continue Reading

While 1 Timothy 4:12-13 does acknowledge youth as being a problem for some, it does not seem to see it as an obstacle for preachers. Quite the opposite. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers as an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I... Continue Reading

Not until suffering strips away sentiment and makes you long for a God who isn’t reacting, but reigning. Not scrambling for answers, but already working redemption. Because suffering burns off the excess. It peels back the polished and leaves only what’s real. And what’s real must be true. Suffering doesn’t just refine. It reveals.  ... Continue Reading