One question I was asked this week as a follow-up to the sermon was, "What is creative obedience?" In last week's sermon from Philippians 2:12-16, I mentioned that "working out our salvation" is essentially the obedience to Christ that comes with new birth of the Spirit....
Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The Apostle Paul echoed this statement when he said, " work out your salvation " (Philippians 2:12). To work out our salvation is to keep the commandments of our Savior. Obedience is a priority for...
As Christians we let Jesus set our priorities. He tells us what we should be like and what we should pursue. He does so in the Bible. When we read the Bible we notice that some of the things we think are so important are just...
As a pastor, it is not my role to tell you who to vote for in an election. It is my responsibility to help followers of Jesus who live in a democratic society understand how voting can be an exercise in Christian discipleship. Official church endorsement...
Now would be a great time for graciousness to flow from the people who have experienced God's grace. Someone needs to speak a word that will bring grace to a home, office, and classroom. Some church member needs to enter the chaotic church gathering and help bring...
"Strive together for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27) This verse is one place when the words "strive" and "gospel" should be kept together. We never strive in our own moral goodness to earn our salvation. "By grace through faith" is the gospel message. But...
The recent snowstorm made us aware of the importance of stability. A slip on the ice or a car headed into a ditch means we're off balance and out of control. That's frightening. When it comes to our faith, we often feel unstable as if we're...
Dinner had not reached our table at a local restaurant when my friend asked me, "So, are you an evangelical?" My sense was that, like most Americans, he recently heard that evangelicals are a "voting block" being pursued by presidential candidates. The pace of our...
Reverence for God and respect for the life he created is the foundation for every moral decision we face. We do not have one reason to abolish abortion and another to remove racism from our hearts. We do not have two different reasons for ending...
There was a time when the sermons, songs, and conversations of the church reflected the Bible's priority on life and death and on life in relation to death. It seems we have gotten away from this priority and shifted to themes more related to life...
