I’ve written elsewhere about the false dichotomy pushed by some pastors, primarily from the Calvinist camp, between doing good to our neighbors and preaching. Their primary argument is people need salvation more than they need healing. We will set aside the ironic fact in the New Testament the two words,…
Given April 26, 2020 – The Third Sunday of Easter Lessons Acts 2:14a; 2:36-47 or Isaiah 43:1-12 Psalm 116:10-17 1 Peter 1:13-25 Luke 24:13-35 In our gospel reading today we are walking with two disciples: one is named Cleopas, the other possibly his wife, named Mary. A couple who are…
I am willing to bet every Christian has heard or read the verse of Jesus saying, “Take up your cross and follow me.” It is found twice in Matthew (10:38, 16:24) and once in Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23. Most quoted is the one in Luke: “If anyone would come…
This current crisis has moved me to rethink the American ideal of individual freedoms. The cornerstone of American individualism and idealism is the concept of personal freedom. One who is free from any outside constraints and rules. You are free to live and let live as long as your freedoms…
Being physically together as a church body is a pillar of church life. Our faith is founded on the eyewitnesses of the Apostles who heard, seen, touched and felt the Lord himself (1 John 1:1-4). Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper – an activity that is difficult to…
I am amazed by the disunity of our nation. I would have thought this crisis would have brought us together in order to fight against this invisible enemy that we have. But alas, it has not. The left sees the right as not doing enough and the right sees the…
During this crisis, I am sure many have thought about death, the afterlife, and all that it entails. Many Christians look forward to heaven, its spenders, and lack of coronavirus, corrupt governments, and greedy neighbors. But is heaven really our final destination? I was watching an episode of Star Trek…
Given: Sunday, 29. March 2020 – The Fifth Sunday in LentLessons Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 6:15-23 John (11:1-17); 11:18-44 Our lessons today could not be more appropriate for the crisis we are in now. The story in Ezekiel and the gospel of John speak of death and resurrection –…
Given January 12, 2020 – The First Sunday of Epiphany, Baptism of our Lord Lessons Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 89:1-29 or 89:20-29 Acts 10:34-38 Matthew 3:13-17 This Sunday on the church calendar is the second Sunday of the Epiphany – the feast day of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan…
The Lost Son – OUT NOW!
The Lost Son: To Seek and Save the Lost Available on Amazon Kindle Now! Jesus’ famous parable of the prodigal son is loved by Christians and non-Christians alike. It is a message of all-inclusive love that has touched the hearts of millions for generations. What was Jesus teaching in this…