No one would argue that we are not "selves," with possibilities and responsibilities. The Christian message affirms that we are individuals, accountable to God and called to follow Christ as such. As Christians, our new aim in life is to bring glory to God. This...
"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation." Psalm 85:6-7 The last verse of Judges is, "In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was...
When we come to the end of the book of Judges we are left with a bleak picture of the state of God's people at this point in history. "There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." As...
Without an understanding of the gospel, we are not likely to appreciate the word repentance. Repentance is for most people a bad word. It sounds harsh and judgmental to say we need to repent. It sounds like it leads to the death of fun and...
Worship is the expression of the relationship of grace and faith that we have with God. This relationship (called a covenant in the Bible) is foundational. God calls, saves, keeps, and leads us by grace. We respond to him in faith. Faith is trust, love,...
One of the reasons the Bible has been such a challenge for me over the years is because some of God's people are so flawed and they do such horrible things. I still have trouble getting my head around some of the people and events...
This Sunday at Grace I will be preaching a sermon from perhaps the most graphic and disturbing passage in the Bible, outside of the crucifixion of Jesus. A woman is given up by her husband in exchange for his own life to a band of...
I awoke this morning to the news that five police officers were killed in Dallas at a march protesting the death of two men killed by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. I am working on the sermon for Sunday from the book of Judges that...
A moment of honesty hereÂ…Judges is one of those books that I have not been eager to preach. I'm sure there are hardcore pastors who relish the thought of talking about battles and blood, and preaching through Judges is permission for them to do so....
This Sunday at Grace we will bring our Philippians sermons to a close. Finishing a sermon series on a book of the Bible feels a bit like saying "good-bye" to a friend after a rich conversation over a long meal. We'll always be friends but...
