I have a complicated relationship with blood. The sight of it can make me light-headed and cause my knees to buckle. When my blood is drawn, I look away, so I won’t see the needle enter my vein and the vile turn red. I figure...
Does anyone really think of beauty when they hear the word “holiness”? Not unless they have thought about God and what he is making his children to be. “Holy” is not an adjective for a cow, or a reference to a sanctimonious person. Holiness is real...
I’ve been thinking about hope this week because the sermon text for Sunday is 1 Peter 1:13, “…set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” While being encouraged by my study, I have found myself...
This weekend we conclude our 21-Day Devoted to Prayer season. What do we do now? Maybe right now you feel badly because you never got around to praying for Grace Community Church the past three weeks. That prayer guide is still staring at you from the...
When a congregation gathers on the Lord’s Day to read from a portion of the Bible and give its attention to what is read in the form of a sermon, what is happening? From one perspective, it seems obvious what is happening. One man is standing...
“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” -Ephesians 6:18, NLT That’s the way Paul concludes his teaching on how Christians engage in the spiritual battle that rages on until Christ...
The life of a Christian is best lived praying. The work of a congregation is best done praying. To pray is a command, a necessity, and an encouragement to our faith. Praying is a way of life. As such, it calls for our whole self and...
There was a time when Christmas Day was not. Still, the promise of the presence of God was real and relevant to his people. As much as we love Christmas time, we must admit that as a “holiday” it has shaped our reading of the Bible,...
The final chapter in the Gospel of John is both personal to Peter and a call to all who read it. The final word from Jesus to the disciple who failed is the same word to us. Jesus said, “Follow Me.” John and Peter were disciples...
The gospel is good news on many levels. It contains a vast array of promises that flow from the cross. The starting point of them all is the promise of forgiveness of sins. For this reason, we proclaim repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. When Jesus...
