“Paul had always believed that the One God would at the last put the whole world right. The Psalms had said it; the prophets had predicted it; Jesus had announced that it was happening (though in a way nobody had … Continue reading
In late July, I preached a sermon on Psalm 88, which is one of the most lamenty of lament passages in the Bible. I sought to dig into the place of lament in our lives and how lament actually functions … Continue reading
In early 1999, my church had a major crisis, as there was a group of people who left the church and others were threatening to leave over the issue of a woman preaching on the occasional Sunday morning. It was … Continue reading
I preached on Jonah 1 a few weeks ago at the River Church. Here’s a link to the video Some lessons from the passage that I ended with: God isn’t on our side. God invites us to be on his … Continue reading
One thing we learn from the Bible, maybe a key lesson throughout the text, is that we shouldn’t expect God’s story to take shape the way or the timing we want, but it is ultimately leading in a better direction. … Continue reading
Love can mean many things. In Christianity, it’s meaning is oriented by the revelation of God that is expressed in the person and mission of Jesus, a mission that continues to be empowered by the Spirit. And yet… It’s clear … Continue reading
The message in Scripture isn’t just about some isolated religious issues as expressed by an ancient people. It was expressed by an ancient people, but more than a limited cultic set of temple acts, it’s really an expression of how … Continue reading
Peace is a difficult topic. Not because it’s hard to describe, but because it’s hard to realize, and in light of the news, it’s hard to believe. Yet, peace, shalom as it is called in Hebrew, is a Promise from … Continue reading
A while back, I wanted to learn what the Bible said about the various types of spiritual expressions we commonly call gifts. And, I didn’t want to use the usual lists of various gifts that Paul talks about. Rather, I … Continue reading
Looking at the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 for my writing project. A very Old Testament sort of narrative. Tell a lie, die. The Holy Spirit doesn’t mess around. We always hear people saying they want more … Continue reading
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