"We hear them telling in our own language the mighty works of God." Acts 2:11 There are times when people repeat back to me what they think I said in a sermon or a conversation. I am often surprised that what they heard is not what...
"The Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of DavidÂ…" Acts 1:16 "What God has joined together, let no one separate" (Matthew 19:6). Jesus was talking about marriage when he spoke these words. But they apply as well to...
The phrase "timing is everything" is so commonplace that it's impossible to attribute it to any one person. You will find endless uses of the phrase in some form or another in songs, psychology, and speeches. It's the advice given to investors and comedians. There...
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...
