August 2024
Is Following Christ Hard or Easy?
What human heart doesn’t rise with hopeful longing to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for […]
Neither Do I Condemn You
Last message we introduced the paradoxical truth that the Bible calls Christians both to judge one another within the church and to judge not. We studied 1 Corinthians 5 which describes how Paul responded to a difficult scenario that was playing out within the Corinthian church by calling that church to confront a man’s unrepentant […]
June 2024
The Three-in-Oneness of God
As we continue our study through some of the paradoxical teachings of the Bible, we’ll be taking up the Biblical doctrine of the trinity, which teaches that there is one God who exists eternally in three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Down through the years people have employed a number of analogies to try […]
The Downward Path to Greatness
Have you ever noticed that the word “down” is rarely associated with anything good in the English language. We’ve all heard of things in decline described as “going downhill,” and we’ve also heard of the “down and out” and the “downtrodden.” We’re familiar with words like “downfall,” “downscale” and expressions like “feeling down in the […]
May 2024
A Fool and His Folly
The Bible often confronts us with paradoxical truths that require us to hold two seemingly contradictory ideas in tension. The trinity is a famous example of this. The statement that there is one God who exists eternally in three persons is inherently paradoxical. We might ask, “Is God one or is He three?” The answer, […]
Loving God, Loving Others, Love in Action.
In Acts 2 we read the following about the early church: 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were […]
Thomas
We’ll be spending time in the twentieth chapter of John where we find the account of Thomas’ post-resurrection encounter with Jesus. This account is interesting to read in conjunction with Hebrews 11:1, which famously defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” If you have […]
April 2024
The Changing Mind of Paul
Paul’s conversion to Christianity is unique. Not only did Jesus Himself take the lead in seeking his conversion, but Paul’s change of mind was nearly as sudden as the flipping of a switch. One minute he was breathing threats and murder against the church, but then came the voice on the Damascus Road, “I am […]
The Road to Emmaus
There’s something gripping about an eyewitness account, isn’t there? It’s one thing to hear a news anchor report on some far away happening, but it is quite another to listen to someone give a firsthand account of what they actually witnessed with their own two eyes. After Jesus was raised from the dead He appeared […]
March 2024
Easter
I can recall witnessing the baptism of a young man while I was on staff at Camp Maranatha in Southern California. The young man had put his trust in Jesus for salvation that very night following an hours-long conversation with his youth pastor, a man named Jack Williamson. I don’t recall the exact time, but […]
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