Did you ever read something in a book or printed page that made you stop and reread it? It hit you and it was almost like you couldn’t believe what your eyes read? Perhaps it was a statistic that was so astonishing. Maybe it was a quotation that you couldn’t believe so-and-so said that! So…
Wrangling with Words | building & way
Did you ever read something in a book or printed page that made you stop and reread it? It hit you and it was almost like you couldn’t believe what your eyes read? Perhaps it was a statistic that was so astonishing. Maybe it was a quotation that you couldn’t believe so-and-so said that! So…
Scattered and Gathered: life after Babylon
Are you looking forward to the restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 being lifted? Many people anticipate the day that live worship services return and gathering together becomes easier. But many websites are warning that after the coronavirus passes, there will be no “return to normal.” Life for us has changed forever. What will a sermon…
Scattered | the time between the testaments
The word “scattered” describes the nation of the Jews throughout their history. The word occurs in the Old Testament to describe God’s involvement in the moving of people. (Interestingly, it is a word that Jesus uses in His parables, especially that of the sower.) Some of the relevant OT Scriptures include Genesis 11:4, Deuteronomy 4:27,…
As Most Important
If you pick up a Bible study or commentary on the important teachings of the book of 1 Corinthians, or if you listen to a sermon series studying through the book, you are most likely to hear that the church in Corinth was a problem church – a church that wasn’t very grounded in the…
Autumn Rain
6 When they reach Dry Valley, springs start flowing, and the autumn rain fills it with pools of water. 7 Your people grow stronger, and you, the God of gods, will be seen in Zion (Psalm 84:6-7 CEV). Do you dread the heat of the summer? How hot does it get in the summer where you live?…
Communicating Sound Doctrine
From the days that I sat at the Seminary listening to seasoned, biblical scholars, sound doctrine stirs me. The professors were people who knew the Scriptures and taught them with confident authority. How do we teach the content of sound doctrine to others in the church? There are so many different opinions about Scripture, how…
Biblical Illiteracy in the Church
Does your church offer any educational programs on Sunday mornings anymore? Is your leadership concerned with biblical illiteracy in the church? The Sunday school program, once considered “the finest integrated church growth tool on the market,” is no longer thriving, and is often seen as a relic from the past on the edge of extinction.…
Stressed Out: Anxiety and Hypertension
There is an old Greek proverb that speaks about being stressed: You will break the bow if you keep it always bent. Just finished listening to a series of sermons about stress in our lives. It wasn’t a bad collection of messages. But to be honest the series left me … ummm … stressed. The…