In the series Rome, Titus Pullo is a proud soldier of Rome’s Thirteenth Legion. But the time comes when there are no more wars to fight and he descends into a life of cold-blooded, mercenary killing. When he is captured and condemned to die in the arena for his crimes, he is resigned if not relieved, in regardContinue reading “Entering the Arena for Christ”
Category Archives: community
Connecting with Church (2)
How does a person connect with God’s community (the church)? Since church is God’s community, it is entered into by coming into relationship with Him through Jesus. In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, Paul speaks of Jesus loving the church and giving Himself up for her (v. 25). He then says in v. 26, that Jesus cleansed her,Continue reading “Connecting with Church (2)”
Connecting with Church (1)
Church is not a good idea – it’s God’s idea! Jesus spoke of building His church (community) in Matthew 16:18ff. The Scriptures also speak of this community being purchased by God (Acts 20:28). If church is this important to the Father and the Son, surely it will be to us. Okay, but what exactly is church?Continue reading “Connecting with Church (1)”
Community and Communion
What happened in Eden did more than alienate us from God—we became estranged from each other! Redemption then is not only about us coming to God, it is about us coming to one other. The church as the body of Christ is the community of the reconciled, composed of people who belong to the LordContinue reading “Community and Communion”
Communion Thoughts
Being alone is nice . . . for a little while. Then we need people. If you think about it, even some of the things we do when we are alone give us away. We watch TV, listen to music, surf the net, and do other things that to some degree involve the human touch and aren’t soContinue reading “Communion Thoughts”
Celebrities or Servants?
I caught the last snippet of a commercial recently where someone was identified as a celebrity landscaper. Well of course—why just be a landscaper when you can be a celebrity landscaper? The possibilities are endless: celebrity school teacher, celebrity pharmacist, celebrity construction worker. And let’s not forget the kids—we can have celebrity teenagers, celebrity children andContinue reading “Celebrities or Servants?”
Caring as Community
Our church has four words for its motto: welcoming, caring, seeking, sharing. They represent values we hold dear because they reflect our understanding of what God wants us to be. What does it mean to care? It means more than to feel a certain way. It is also more than performing good deeds for others. To care is toContinue reading “Caring as Community”
Building the Patience Bridge
Years ago I heard a college president speak to a group of honor students. He congratulated them on their academic achievements and then went on to make the point that what would determine whether or not they would be successful in their chosen fields would be the utilization of their soft skills. He noted thatContinue reading “Building the Patience Bridge”
Being a Woman is a Wonderful Thing (2)
Most of us remember Mo’ne Davis. She took the world by storm as she led her Philadelphia team to the Little League World Series as a thirteen-year old in 2014. Mo’ne was a pitcher and she threw hard (as a lot of players do at that age). What impressed me was she also knew howContinue reading “Being a Woman is a Wonderful Thing (2)”
Brand Names and Brotherhood
“Church” is a relational word! It is used in the New Testament to speak of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:19-22), or our relationship with other Christians in the assembly, a local congregation, or the universal body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). In fact, a quick look at the names used in the NewContinue reading “Brand Names and Brotherhood”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 