God Is No Lucy!

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. (Exodus 6:9). It hadn’t been that way at the beginning.  When Moses and Aaron initially met with the leaders of the Israelites and told them of God’s plans for them, they did more than believe.  Upon hearing ofContinue reading “God Is No Lucy!”

Fresh Faith (2)

Let’s look at each of these more closely.     Renewing ourselves as disciples: There are few things more toxic spiritually than a failure to learn and grow. This happens because people either think they already know it all or they are apathetic about learning. Either way, the results are the same.  I’ve known some people over the years whoContinue reading “Fresh Faith (2)”

Fresh Faith (1)

In Matthew 9:14-17, Jesus refused to mix the new wine (teaching) He brought with the toxic stuff the Pharisees were dispensing.  Whether it was His teaching on fasting or some other issue, He wasn’t going to try to fit His teaching and ministry in with theirs (as perhaps the disciples of John were attempting to do). Continue reading “Fresh Faith (1)”

Forward By Backward

The Torah (law) came through Moses.  The call to return to the law came through the prophets.  Men such as Elijah called Israel away from their idols and back to God (see 1 Kings 18).  It’s no coincidence that after John appeared on the scene, Jesus identified him as the Elijah who was to come and restore all things (Matthew 17;Continue reading “Forward By Backward”

Forgiveness, Confession & Commission

John’s gospel reaches its high water mark with Thomas’ confession that Jesus is his Lord and God (20:28). This is where John wants to bring his readers. He ties everything together by stating in v. 30-31 that the signs he had recorded are for that purpose—to bring people to belief in Jesus and the life that comes from suchContinue reading “Forgiveness, Confession & Commission”

Experiencing The Word Of God

Our family has always liked to hike and over the years we’ve had the opportunity to do so in several states (almost always at state parks). The one thing none of us are blessed with is a great sense of direction, so we appreciate the fact that the trails are always color coded. Most ofContinue reading “Experiencing The Word Of God”

Exploring Off The Coast

Our planet is a remarkable place. It is home to almost eight billion people living on six continents (seven if you count the few hearty souls in Antarctica). In addition to human life, it is populated by all sorts of amazing plants and animals.  But most of the life on this planet isn’t visible toContinue reading “Exploring Off The Coast”

Eight-Sided Baptisteries And The Resurrection Of Jesus

There are two rites/ceremonials acts that God has given the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both of these are simple actions that symbolize much deeper, greater realities. Singing is singing and praying is praying, but when it comes to baptism and the Supper, there’s something more than what meets the eye. There is water,Continue reading “Eight-Sided Baptisteries And The Resurrection Of Jesus”

Embracing The Unpredictable

It was probably a good thing that Abraham and Sarah didn’t have any children when God called them away from Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2; Hebrews 11:8ff). We’re not given any details about how it all transpired so we have to use our imagination, but when Abraham poked his head inside the tent and told Sarah to startContinue reading “Embracing The Unpredictable”