What characteristic makes a Christian Christian?  Faith?  Love?  Hope?  Obedience?  Humility?  I believe—I hope—that I speak with you often about these virtues, these qualities.  These are what give distinctive flavor…

Pure

July 30, 2023
Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see, little ears, what you hear.  Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say, little hands, what you do.  Oh, be careful, little…
Over these weeks taking us to Pentecost, as I’m reading the Acts of the Apostles, I’m considering Thom Rainer’s insights regarding a noticeable decline in evangelism.  Acts is like our…
I dread getting God’s Word wrong.  In the interests of full disclosure, this proclaimer of God’s Word also dreads parts of God’s Word.  There are parts that seem hard to…

He Didn’t Say No

September 5, 2021
Who’s up for a fifteen hour walk?  It’s about fifty miles from the Sea of Galilee to the city of Tyre, going northwest.  That’s almost to Eagle Lake.  The walk…

You Already Have Enough

July 11, 2021
          Two by two.  Why pairs?  I get why Jesus didn’t send them each alone.  I have many plans to serve the Lord, beloved.  Plans.  Hopes.  Dreams.  It’s good to…
          Ours is a fellowship of confession.  Fellowship begins with Christ.  The Greek word we translate as fellowship is koinonia, which could also be translated as participation, communion.  We have…

Can We Just Skip That Part?

August 18, 2019
Fire? Division, not peace? Hypocrites? Why does Jesus have to say such things? I mean, I suppose I could just skip all those things he says like what we just…

Spirit and Fire

January 13, 2019
John didn’t look like a Messiah, didn’t act like a Messiah, but some thought that maybe he kind of spoke like a Messiah, so they wondered: Is John the Messiah? …

Hope for a Good Conscience

November 4, 2018
My last year at seminary, one of the theology professors taught a course called something like “Theories of the Atonement.”  Over centuries, theologians have presented different explanations regarding the atonement,…