Entropy. Do remember hearing that term back in school when you were sitting in science class? It refers to the idea that unless outside energy is provided, everything in the universe moves from order to disorder. What’s true for physics and chemistry also seems to describe what we see and experience in our culture each day. However, this is the result of sin. You and I have a Savior who, through His love, brings light, life and forgiveness – and restores the bonds our relationship Him and with o...
Oct 06, 2023•5 min
As trappers in the past discovered, there is a peril that can easily befall a bear hunter – and that’s the danger of being caught in your own trap. The chief priests and the elders of the people discovered this when they tried to set a trap for Jesus. Folks still try the same thing today. However, by God's grace, we have a Savior who has pried apart even the jaws of death and brought us life and forgiveness in Him.
Oct 04, 2023•5 min
Have you ever found yourself playing the “Blame Game”? That’s the game which begins when someone blunders or makes a bad decision. Someone makes a bad decision or fails and the game is underway. Then everyone points there finger at each other as they try to avoid the blame and pin it on someone else. Sound familiar? In the Blame Game everyone loses. But in love, God shows us instead how to taste victory.
Oct 02, 2023•5 min
Believe it or not, it’s now less than ninety days until Christmas. Of course, if you’ve been out shopping, you already know that. Side-by-side in the stores are the skulls and skeleton decorations for Halloween with trees and tinsel for December! We live in a culture which is obsessed with candy and toys. However, while we may scoff at all this it may actually cloud our understanding of God’s grace. To illustrate this, and refresh our understanding and appreciation for God's generous grace, Jesu...
Sep 29, 2023•5 min
You can’t take it with you. Have you ever heard that phrase? It’s an encouragement for folks to enjoy their money or possessions today because you can’t take any of them with you when you die. For you and me it means taking another look at what we consider to be precious in this life. That's what Paul did. And he discovered something you and I CAN take with us!
Sep 27, 2023•5 min
The call to repentance is not simply a warning to turn away from sin. It’s also a joyful invitation to turn to God and His merciful love. And the best part of all? God's mercy isn't hard to find. God Himself has made sure of it.
Sep 25, 2023•5 min
It’s not hard to tell what was on Peter’s mind when he asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” Like us, he wondered how often we should forgive someone when they sin against us. And at what point do we say, “That’s it! No more!
Sep 22, 2023•5 min
Today, it’s become common to hear believers say, “You don’t have to belong to a church family to be a believer.” It has become tempting for Christians to want to ‘go it alone.’ But the apostle reminds us that Jesus has called us into community with one another in His body, the Church. In fact, he tells us that we belong to God – and to each other.
Sep 20, 2023•5 min
After everything that Joseph endured at the hands of his brothers, it’s small wonder that they were terrified when the came face-to-face with him again years later. They naturally assumed, “It’s payback time!” However, what followed left them surprised, relieved and in tears. It was “payback time,” but of a very different nature. Episode artwork courtesy of FreeBibleImages.org Used by permission.
Sep 18, 2023•5 min
If attendance was down at church last week, you may have looked around, shrugged your shoulders and given this this bit of encouragement: “Well, as Jesus says, ‘Where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.’” Although we often quote this verse when thinking about worship, it actually about more than that. It's a remarkable promise from our Savior, a much-needed encouragement when we need to confront someone we love about their sin.
Sep 15, 2023•5 min
The governing authorities. Just mere mention of the words ‘politician,’ or ‘government,’ these days results in high blood pressure, red faces, grinding teeth, and simmering anger. And folks tend to ask, “Can things get any worse?” In Paul's day, the leader of the empire was Nero! So, how can he, here in Romans, describe the governing authorities as "God's servants"?
Sep 13, 2023•5 min
There's a commercial on TV for a pet food company that makes you laugh. However, it also makes you squirm when we realize how often it sounds like us a Christ's disciples. The disciples argued amongst themselves as to who was the best and even who was to be considered the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Thankfully, we have a Savior who rescues us from this preoccupation by giving us a better perception of those in our midst. He leads us to see others as He sees them – sinners just like us in ...
Sep 11, 2023•5 min
“Taste death.” Isn’t that a remarkable phrase? It’s one that our Savior used here following Peter’s remarkable confession of faith. But it came after Jesus needed to rebuke His disciple when he refused to hear what came next. He couldn’t comprehend how the Christ, the Son of the living God, would have to die on a cross? He couldn’t understand why Jesus would want to “taste death.”
Sep 08, 2023•5 min
Here in Romans, Paul provides insight on how to deal with wounds. There is no shortage of occasions in life when someone will hurt us. Harsh words spoken in anger, or as gossip, can cut deep. Things that people do to us can leave lasting scars. The emotional pain that comes with it can linger for years. Just being reminded of them can be like adding salt to the wound. So how do you and I deal with them?
Sep 06, 2023•5 min
Job once used this image of an undependable water source to describe his unhelpful friends. Now Jeremiah hurled this same complaint before God! At this point, you can’t help but think, “Excuse me, Jeremiah. I think I’m going to stand over there before the lighting strikes!” The prophet tell us what led him to his hurt and mistaken confusion. However, take a look at what happened next.
Sep 04, 2023•5 min
When Andrew introduced his brother to our Savior, John tells Jesus gave his brother the name Cephas, which when translated means "Peter." Peter is a great name. It means “rock.” And on this day, here in Matthew, we can understand why.
Sep 01, 2023•5 min
Here in Romans, Paul addressed the congregation about a something that concerns all Christians. He addressed them individually – about individualism. Surrounded by a competitive culture which makes each person the center of their own universe, the temptation was to lose sight of their mutual connections. Sound familiar?
Aug 30, 2023•5 min
For the folks of Israel, living in exile in Babylon, it must have seemed as if all was lost. The Temple was destroyed, and the people themselves had be carried off. It was a dark and bleak time for the people as they struggled to see what was next on the horizon. In their sin, they had forgotten the important role He had given to them of being a beacon of light for the nations. But God reminded them of His promise –the light of His mercy in our Savior– which cannot be extinguished. And it contin...
Aug 28, 2023•5 min
Wait a minute, did Jesus just call a woman a “dog” here in Matthew? Your feel your head snap back and you wonder, “Ouch, why would Jesus say that?” It’s seems surprising. But everything about this encounter is surprising.
Aug 25, 2023•5 min
How many of you have shared the fantastic news of salvation in Christ – only to find yourself rebuffed and God’s gift of grace dismissed? It’s painful, isn’t it? It's particularly painful when members of your own family brush aside your attempts to talk to them about Jesus. It’s hard to watch as they want nothing to do with God’s gift to them of His Son, their Savior. Paul had a somewhat similar experience. What he shares next may sound strange at first but it actually makes perfect sense....
Aug 23, 2023•5 min
You're all wet! That’s the kind of thing you say to someone if you want to tell them, “You’re mistaken, misguided, foolish.” It's the kind of thing that someone might say to you and me when they hear we follow Christ. Actually, being all "wet" is good thing! Episode Cover Art courtesy of FreeBibleImages Used by permission.
Aug 21, 2023•5 min
In Romans, Paul quotes what has become one of the more familiar passages from Isaiah. Centuries early, the prophet described the messenger of good news as having "beautiful feet." And in many cases, popular Bible Studies based on this theme will usually include a cover picture a clean, pedicured toes on a sandy beach. However, as evocative as that image is of a peaceful escape to tropical destination, the one which Isaiah painted and which Paul quotes, is much different.
Aug 18, 2023•5 min
In our sinfulness, it’s easy to think that God has turned away from us, that He no longer hears our prayers, or our cries for mercy. From time-to-time, it’s tempting to think that we’ve said or done something so grievous, so sinful that now all is lost. And we may even find ourselves looking for some sign, any sign, not matter how small, that God might be listening. But God does hears confession and our cries for mercy, and inclines His ear to hear us.
Aug 16, 2023•5 min
Sometimes, in our fear and weakness, we may find ourselves questioning God’s ways. We may even doubt His love. In Job, the once-prosperous prophet watched as everything he had was wiped away as he suffers wave-after-wave of calamity. His friends assume that Job must have done something to incur God’s wrath for all this to have happened. Job insists that’s not the case, but they’re not convinced. Like many today, they assume that if you do what you’re supposed to do then God owes you. But thankfu...
Aug 14, 2023•5 min
In Romans, Paul rejoices to say, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.” However, what follows next is often misunderstood as a two-step process of what we must do as a condition of salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle points us, not to ourselves, but to what Jesus has done and the salvation that God Himself has accomplished for us. Here's Good News that we hold in our hearts by faith and which bursts from our lips as we acknowledge it together t...
Aug 11, 2023•5 min
In Romans, Paul describes a heartfelt desire to trade places with his brothers. However, it's not a covetous desire to be rich and have what they've got. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. He wanted his brothers to have what he has. However, what Paul couldn't do, Jesus has done ... and He's done it for you, me, and those who don't yet know it.
Aug 09, 2023•5 min
When it come to food swaps, God invites us, here in Isaiah, to take a closer look at what we’re consuming. But even though He mentions such staples as milk and bread, what He has in mind is actually much more than just food.
Aug 07, 2023•5 min
It’s not hard to imagine how it would have sparkled the eyes of the disciples to hear Jesus begin a parable with the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” It's tempting to think of ourselves as Indiana Jones and the treasure being Jesus. However, you might want to hang on to your seat and have another look. Our Savior's words may be more amazing and comforting than you thought.
Aug 04, 2023•5 min
“Are There Any Defense Lawyers Who Have Never Lost a Case?” It's an intriguing question isn't it? However, it's more than that if it's your life that's on the line. So, Paul wants to introduce you to the only One who is undefeatable.
Aug 02, 2023•5 min
It was a heartwarming moment. And it brought a lot of smiles, laughter and applause. Whoever thought it was a promise that he would keep? Last summer, five years later and to the surprise of many, he kept that "pinky promise." Now consider what it means when Moses tells us that you and I have a faithful God.
Jul 31, 2023•5 min
