Monthly Archives: October 2024

Know the Unknowable (Ephesians 3:17-19)

We tend to think there are smart people who comprehend things and there are strong people who get things done. The smart people wore glasses, walked around with their noses in books, and got beat up a lot when they were kids. And of course, it was the strong kids who beat them up Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Halloween Post: What the Bible Says About the Walking Dead

Their transgression and sins were not the cause of this deadness, but its result; the way a stench is not the cause of physical death, but results from it. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Incomparable Power (Ephesians 1:19-23)

What are “the believing” believing? In my experience, many people who profess belief in God have little more than a blur or smear of religious thoughts – some quite pagan – about a God who is generally nice and will look after us and take us to heaven when we die. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Church Life, Faith, Prayer, Sermons, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus: Liberal or Conservative?

When it comes to the question of whether Jesus is a conservative or a liberal, I think there is evidence for both, but there is no evidence that he is a Republican or a Democrat. He calls Republicans and Democrats to join his side. He will not join theirs. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, In the News, Theology, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Immeasurable Power (Ephesians 1:19-23)

…we will only experience God’s power if something in our life uses God’s power. Our houses have TVs and computers, stoves and dishwashers, fans and hairdryers, and they all use electricity. Is there anything in our lives that uses God’s power? Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Faith, Sermons, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Power of Community to Shape Us

Into this mess, Jesus comes to save us. Instead of trying to hurdle into God’s place, as the first Adam did, the second Adam hurtles into the depths, like a skydiver trying to catch someone whose chute has failed. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Understanding God’s Inheritance in the Saints

When we look at the saints, we see old Mrs. Smudge, who can never manage to put her lipstick on straight … and John Washout, who has failed spectacularly at everything he ever put his hand to. And they – how easy it is to forget – see us. It sure doesn’t seem like glory that we are seeing. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, Church Life, Encouragement, Prayer, Sermons | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Prayer for Your Love Life

Paul, the passionate revolutionary who spent years in prisons all around the Mediterranean for the sake of the cause, prays for the Philippian revolutionaries’ love life. What has love got to do with the subjection of every nation and people and power on earth under one head, even Christ? Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, Encouragement, Prayer, relationships, Sermons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Politics of Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate, the infamous politician who ordered the execution of Jesus, is a case in point. If one studies the narrative accounts of Jesus’s trials, one sees a variety of dynamics that still come into play in today’s political maneuverings. Continue reading

Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power of Wisdom and Revelation for Believers

Let’s not misread that, as if Paul had written, “the hope of your calling.” This calling is not full of hope because we receive it but because God issues it. Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, Church Life, Encouragement, Sermons, Spiritual life, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment