Category Archives: Church

How to Do What Can’t Be Done (Philippians 4)

Some of the things that need to be done to make our relationships healthy are things we cannot do. But they are things we could do if we learned how to live “in the Lord.” The New Testament uses that … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, Encouragement, Marriage and Family, relationships, Sermons, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here Comes the Bride: The Church as the Bride of Christ

Many of us (I suspect this is especially true of men) have trouble connecting with the image of the church as a bride. But this is, perhaps, the richest of all biblical metaphors of the church. It is full of … Continue reading

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

Church as Temple and Priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-10)

Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped by a babysitter when she was just 22 months old. Her kidnapper changed her name and raised her as her own in the city where she was born, but Melissa never had an inkling about her … Continue reading

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

Alien Residents (1 Peter 2:11-12)

In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter calls the people of Jesus “foreigners and exiles.” They have green cards. They’re here on work and student visas. It is not their ambition to settle down, though if they can make this a better … Continue reading

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

Finding the Right Pastor: Insights from the Bible

In 2023, I will finish my work at the church I have served for decades. My wife and I love our church and want it to flourish after we move on. So, of course, we want the next pastor to … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, relationships | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Why the Church is Essential to God’s Plan for Humanity

The church is more important than is generally understood, even by church members. It is crucial to the future, for it lies at the center of God’s plan for humanity. Without the church, the world could never be right, and … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Theology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Family of God (Series on the Church)

You are a young man in first century Israel (though what I am about to say would have been true of men almost anywhere in the first century). You got married on Sunday. Your family, your bride’s family, your friends, … Continue reading

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

Leaving Home (not knowing where we are going)

I will be finishing up the work that God gave me to do at Lockwood Community Church over the next few months. It has be a long, fruitful, and (for the most part) happy time. My wife and I have … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Church Life, Faith, Mission, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Day You Came Into the Church (1 Corinthians 12:1-13)

Last week, we looked at the day the church was born into the world. This week, we will look at the day you were born into the church. But first, we need to think a little further about what the … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Church, Sermons, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Day the Church Was Born (Acts 2)

We are looking today at Acts 2, which recounts the origins of the Church. When God poured out his Spirit on the 120 Jesus-followers who had gathered in Jerusalem, they went from being friends and associates with a shared history … Continue reading

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