Groaning with Hope

I recently preached a message on Sunday morning from Romans 8:18-25 about how all creation groans  under the curse (including Christians).  The message was entitled Groaning with Hope.  I often feel that I have only skimmed the surface of deep truths as I leave the pulpit.  This is certainly the case any time preaching in [...]

How Do You Please God?

How do you please God? It is often times easy to see the difference between irreligion and the Gospel, but what is most dangerous (for me, at least) is the difference between religion and the Gospel. HT: Matthew Hoskinson

A God Who Delights to Make Wrong Things Right

“We serve a God who delights to make wrong things right.”  The words from Dr. Dan Davey’s message have been ringing in my ears this week.  They rang in my ears as I stood with the Emr family and prayed that God would heal little infant, Vera.  I heard them again as I prayed for the Stolvoort family as they hope [...]

Par is Not Perfection: Born to LIVE as well as Die

At the Christmas season we often hear the phrase “Born to Die.”  While this is certainly an accurate statement there are other glorious gospel truths that complete the story.  Christ was also born to live for us. Let’s consider three gospel thoughts  (original by Dave Harvey):  par is not perfection, perfection for us, and the [...]

God’s Love and Justice: A Point of Tension or Perfect Unity?

Millard J. Erickson gives some great insight into the misunderstanding that God’s love and God’s justice are in some way at odds with one another.  Here are a few of his ideas distilled: The idea that this tension exists results from defining these two separately.  It is derived from outside sources, and is not a biblical [...]

Opposing Views of God

I heard part of an interview on NPR last Friday with Rabbi Harold Kushner, in which he challenges the Biblical view of God that has been preached from our pulpit through the life of Joseph and the life of Moses.  Kushner rejects the idea of an omnipotent God, because it seems to conflict with His [...]

Using Stories to Teach Our Children

Have you read any good stories lately?  Good stories make wholesome impressions on the mind.  They help shape our thinking.  The best of books even impress and satisfy the soul.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget reading Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.  The final words of the book made a lasting impression on [...]

A God I Don’t Get

I’m glad I serve a God I don’t always get. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God.” There are a lot of things about God I don’t fully understand: that’s why He’s God and I’m just me. Take the problem of evil. “Evil, a problem? No kidding.” Let me be [...]