Poet Mary Oliver has said, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” While Oliver was not a Christian, she was certainly right in her assertion. What you focus on becomes what you love. The formative nature of focus is why the author of Hebrews tells us to “Fix our eyes on Jesus” (Heb 12:1). But focusing … Continue reading Don’t Sink: Focusing on the Mission of Christ
Gospel
Out of Exile (Psalm 126)
When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; We are … Continue reading Out of Exile (Psalm 126)
God is FOR You (Psalm 124)
“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say, “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive.” Psalm 124:1-2 God is on our side. Literally, Lord is “for us.” David recognizes that … Continue reading God is FOR You (Psalm 124)
Don’t Do an Altar Call; Call for a Response Instead
Altar calls sit controversially in the history of the American church. Some churches practically do them every week, while other churches do not believe that altar calls are biblical. Pastors who resist altar calls still believe in calling for a response to the preaching of the gospel. What does calling for a response look like in … Continue reading Don’t Do an Altar Call; Call for a Response Instead
Miscarriage, Abortion, and the Gospel
We all live in God’s world: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Whether we acknowledge it or not; there is no escaping that reality. As human beings, we can rage, rail and try to circumvent God’s world for a time. He may even allow us to be successful at it. … Continue reading Miscarriage, Abortion, and the Gospel
Aligning Ourselves With God’s Mission (Mark 3:7-19)
Although Mark 3:7-19 may be easy to glide over because it contains healing stories which are prevalent in Mark’s gospel as well as a list of names, it is loaded with richness and applicability for the church today. Mark 3:7-19 [7] Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from … Continue reading Aligning Ourselves With God’s Mission (Mark 3:7-19)
Even Female Christians Get Circumcised (But not in the way you think)
"And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ" --Colossians 2:11 Paul gives his readers another action of salvation that God has done on their behalf: “In Him, you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.” … Continue reading Even Female Christians Get Circumcised (But not in the way you think)
Eaten Alive
In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship — be it JC or … Continue reading Eaten Alive
Church of (Human) Glory? Or a Church of the Cross?
Amid our shifting culture—moving away from a culturally Christian, modern culture to a postmodern and neo-pagan culture—how should church respond? I think that we should reclaim some of our Protestant roots and learn from the great Reformer, Martin Luther.[1] In 1518, Martin Luther was still a monk within the Catholic church. His superiors, however, wanted … Continue reading Church of (Human) Glory? Or a Church of the Cross?
Three Gospel Assurances
A new year is here, just over a week old! And every January, the gym is packed! Why is that? Because we crave newness and want to change. Maybe for you, the gym isn’t your thing. But I’m sure that there are probably areas of your life which you want to change. So we try … Continue reading Three Gospel Assurances