Podcasts Archives

"Free at Last!" Don't Ever Forget: Building A Community of Remembrance (Exodus 12 - 15)

In this session, we cover the central redemptive event of the Hebrew Bible - the Exodus from Egypt - and God's concern that this once-for-all event would be permanently etched in Israel's memory through Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the ransoming of the first-born, and Songs of Praise. These "sacraments" were God's means to keep the liberating event in public memory. This memory was embodied in liturgical actions. Also, children participated in these events. They were not shielded from the tough struggle and high cost of freedom. God's people are people of memory. They are not stuck in the past, but allow the past to propel them forward into a hopeful future. These events form their identity and shape their lives - much like baptism and Eucharist for the church. "This do in remembrance of me" does not spring up out of nowhere!
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"Longer" is a Lie Unless God is Singing It: The Inescapable God, Part III (Psalm 139:13-18)

Having reflected on God's transcendent qualities - omniscience and omnipresence - in very personal terms, the psalmist now considers the personal significance of God's searching knowledge and constant presence. He reflects on God's intimate knowledge of him from the cradle to the grave. God personally cherishes the psalmist. The psalmist considers God's great love and concludes that no matter what may arise, "I am still with you."
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Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens I've been in love with you - Dan Folgerberg, "Longer" Psalm 139:13-18 13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 I try to count them--they are more than the sand; I come to the end--I am still with you. »MORE

A Clash of Wills: Four Perspectives on God's Will

A personal God is an offense to most people. Why? A personal God possesses a will and desires us to align our wills with God's will. A personal God makes claims on our lives and invites our response of respect, surrender, faith, and love. Most people prefer an impersonal energy that makes no demands.
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A Failure of Nerve: The Final Straw (Numbers 13-14)

Demotivator posters make fun of overly simplistic motivational sayings. One reads like this: "MISTAKES: It Could Be That the Purpose of Your Life Is Only to Serve as a Warning to Others." This saying is true of the first generation of Israelites whom God delivers from Egyptian oppression. In this important story, the Israelites refuse to enter the Promised Land. Their cowardice, complaints, and petty excuses come to head. This is the final straw! The first generation receives what they want - they shall not enter the Promised Land. That privilege will await the next generation. For their part, they shall wander for 40 years. This important story highlights the devastating effects of fear. The opposite of faith is not unbelief, or doubt, but fear. For Fear keeps us from following in the way of Faith.
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A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Final Session - Questions and Answers

In our final session on a Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey, we wrestle with questions raised by the congregation - questions concerning what we can do to nurture and sustain and stage five experience, questions concerning the wall, and questions concerning spiritual growth in general.
The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE

A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Insights from the Map

Having spent four weeks describing and illustrating each stage of the faith map for the spiritual journey, we now, in our final session consider five insights from the map as well as two shortcomings of the map. The importance of time, the place of suffering, and the necessity of perseverance are highlighted and explained. Overall, we have the formula: Time + Commitment + Training (Intentionality) + Experience (Practice) + Trials (Perseverance) = Maturity
The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE

A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Reviewing, Clarifying, and Illustrating the Map

A map is a tool to ascertain your current position in respect to your desired destination. Maps not only record travel over land, but also progress in the journey of life. Just as we map physical growth, we can also map spiritual growth. In this message I introduce a "faith map" that incorporates insights from the last two thousand years of the Christian spiritual tradition.
The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE

A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: The Final Stages

In our current exploration of a faith map for the spiritual journey, we have now come to the final two stages: The Journey Outward and The Life of Love. These stages represent the pinnacle of spiritual growth and maturity. In this session, I develop the final two stages, offering examples from the life of Paul, Jesus, and Henri Nouwen. My goal is to paint such an attractive picture of spiritual maturity that it prompts us to continue on our journey with joy and hope.
The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE

A Few Words About Everything: The Cosmic Significance of the Cross (Colossian 1:15-20)

In order to grow in faith, Paul urges his readers to see Christ as the key to everything (note the repeated use of words, "all things"). It is through Christ that all things have been created and it is in Christ that all things are redeemed. This divine redemption of creation is achieved through Jesus' death on the cross. Jesus is thus the bridge between old and new creation.
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Colossians 1:15-20: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. »MORE

A Glimpse of Home (Revelation 21:1-8)

In the Seer's final vision, we receive a glimpse of the fulfillment of God's purposes for all the world. Everything is made new. Evil is conquered and destroyed. Justice is celebrated and enjoyed. With this restoration and renewal of all things, the purpose of the cosmos can now be realized. God's presence pervades this new creation bringing comfort, healing, and renewal to all. This is the hopeful vision of the future that inspires and guides our faithful efforts in the present.
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Revelation 21:1-8: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6 Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.’ »MORE

A Matter of Time: Making the Most of Every Opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Sometimes it flies, sometimes it crawls, but it always passes. We mark it, waste it, bide it, and race against it. We all have the same amount of it to work with each week, yet none of us ever feel like we have enough of it. We all use it differently and what we do with it defines the shape of our lives. We speak of buying it, saving it, and beating it, but we really can't do any of these things. But we all must give account to God for how we use it. I'm speaking, of course, of time. Time is a stewardship from God. It is a necessary component of every event of our lives. Everything we do demands time. It is a precious commodity, one that we must not waste.
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Ephesians 5:15-17 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. »MORE

A Murderous Heart: The Danger of Unchecked Anger (Matthew 5:21-26)

God's blessed ones are called to be salt and light to the world by living out the "greater righteousness" of the kingdom. The "greater righteousness" of the kingdom is not a righteousness of degrees, but of depth. It is not mere external observance, but a matter of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gets to the heart of the ancient law's original intent. The law is given, not just to regulate external actions, but to create a heart for God and others. Jesus begins by proclaiming that "Thou shalt not murder" is not just about preventing murder, but preserving life. One can refrain from pulling the trigger or plunging the knife and yet still possess a murderous heart. Jesus thus attacks the source of murder: unchecked anger that leads to insults, contempt, and degradation of others opening the possibility of brutality.
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Matthew 5:21-26 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. »MORE

A Quiet Heart: Our Struggle for Inner Peace (Psalm 131)

John Lennon, at the height of the Beatles' popularity, expressed the cry of many when he screams out in the song "I'm So Tired": "I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind!" Still in his 20s, Lennon possessed everything that people assume leads to happiness: fame, fortune, power, and prominence. And yet, none of these things brought him the peace he craved. His deep disillusionment is expressed in the desperation of the lyrics - he is willing to give away everything for just a little peace of mind. If peace is not found in performance, possessions, or popularity, where can it be found?
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Psalm 131 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and for evermore. »MORE

A Second Look at the Tabernacle: Its Significance For Us Today (Exodus 25-31)

The tabernacle is a shadow of the good things to come, but this does not render it meaningless. The tabernacle provides a pattern by which we understand how to approach God, how to understand Jesus and his ministry, and how to understand ourselves as God's people. God is greater than we can possibly imagine. We could not bear to stand in the unmediated presence of God. Holiness must be mediated because of our human limitations and our sin. The temple addresses both limitations. Because of the incarnation, Jesus now mediates God's holiness more perfectly and in a form fitting us as human beings. He is the new ark - the new meeting place between God and humanity. He is the sacrifice - the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the temple, and he is the priest. In Christ and through the Spirit the church is the living temple of God called to serve as living sacrifices.
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A Snake in the Garden: Paradise Lost (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7)

At the heart of every temptation is the subtle accusation, "God is not good." Therefore, "God can't be trusted." At the deepest level we are dealing with matters of trust. Can we trust God even when we don't know the whole story - like a child must trust a parent? Or should we trust only ourselves, short-circuiting a relationship with God?
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Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?'" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. »MORE

A Strange Victory: "It is Finished" (John 19:30)

It is from the cross – after six hours of public humiliation, mental anguish, emotional turmoil, and excruciating physical pain – that Jesus declares his victory: "It is finished!" This is certainly a strange victory revealed in a strange place and at a strange time. How could it possibly be that the Crucified One is triumphant – even victorious?
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John 19:30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. »MORE

A Tale of Two Prayers: The Danger of Spiritual Pride (Luke 18:9-14)

According to the Christian tradition, the greatest sin is that of spiritual pride. Spiritual pride mimics righteousness but its fruit is evil - hatred, intolerance, and division - and leads us to look down on others and hold them in contempt. We must be ever mindful of the danger of spiritual pride, especially in the midst of our greatest spiritual advances.
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Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." »MORE

A Tough Hide and a Tender Heart: The Practice of Patient Ministry (1 Thessalonians 5:11-18)

Ministry to others is a source of great joy and of frustration. Our benevolent actions are not always appreciated. Our good intentions are sometimes misunderstood. Our personal sacrifices may go unrecognized and unrewarded. This is the reason we need a tough hide and a tender heart: that we might practice patient ministry for the good of others.
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1 Thessalonians 5:11-18 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. 12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13 esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. »MORE

A Tough Pill to Swallow: Loving the God I Don't Understand (John 6:56-69)

After the masses abandon Jesus because of his "hard" teaching, Jesus turns to his twelve disciples and offers one of the most touching, heartbreaking, and haunting questions of his life: "Do you also wish to go away?" What do you do when Jesus' teaching is hard to understand? Can you love the God you don't understand?
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John 6:66-69 66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." »MORE

Abraham's Journey of Faith, Part 1

In this session, we trace Abraham's journey of faith from his arrival in the Promised Land to his laughter over God's promise to allow Sarah to give birth to a child in her old age. We cover Abraham's faithlessness in Egypt, his meeting with Melchizedek, God's unilateral Covenant with Abraham, Sarah's attempt to provide a surrogage mother, the sign of circumcision, and God's explicit promise that Sarah will give birth to the child of promise, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah experience the tension of living between Promise and Fulfillment. Sometimes faithful, sometimes faithless and fearing, we experience Abraham and Sarah's growing faith and confidence in God - a faith that will come to its climax in Abraham's Test of Faith in Genesis 22!
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Bible Passage Covered: Genesis 12 - 17 »MORE

Abraham's Journey of Faith, Part 2: The Test of Abraham (Genesis 20-22)

After 25 years, God's promise to Abraham is finally fulfilled. Isaac is born! But no sooner is God's promise fulfilled than God asks Abraham to do something strange: "Abraham, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim writes, "While the frightening, even bizarre, character of the divine command ought not to be discounted, it should not be exaggerated either." What is the point of this narrative? Join us as we wrestle with God's testing of Abraham. After 25 years of success and failure, doubt and disbelief, Abraham has come to trust in God's faithfulness. Why? And what does this mean for us?
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Bible Passage Covered: Genesis 20 - 22 »MORE

Adoration from A to Z: Prayer as an Expression of Praise (Psalm 145)

Why is praise so important? Why is it a consistent feature of almost every prayer? Does God need it? No. God's ego is not so fragile that God needs our constant praise and support. But God knows we need to praise God in order to keep our focus centered on God and not on ourselves. We need to remember who God is and how God acts prior to our asking God for anything.
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Psalm 145:1-3 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. »MORE

All Creation Sings! In Praise of the God of Creation (Psalm 104)

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus... And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace." A robust theology of creation does not lead to this world-denying conclusion, but rather results in full and joyous participation in creation. Things do not become dimmer, but rather, they become clearer in light of God's truth concerning creation. "I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth." The ancient creed begins in this way for a reason. A rich and robust understanding of creation is foundational to Christian faith and practice.
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All Together Now: Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150)

We cling to a vision of ourselves at the center of the universe and God at the periphery. Corporate worship shatters this illusion, and in the process, spiritually transforms us. Worship invites us to give God the highest place in our hearts – the first place – so everything else can be put in its proper place, in relation to God.
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Psalm 150: 1Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! »MORE

All You Need Is... What is Love? (1 Corinthians 13)

The Beatles told us that all we need is love. But then the J. Geils Band told us love stinks! Def Leppard warned us that love bites, and Nazareth sang that love hurts. Pat Benator voiced that love is a battlefield while Babs quietly consoled us that love is soft as an easy chair. Those of us raised on radio are confused: What is love? Thankfully, St. Paul provides an eloquent and powerful definition in one of the most famous chapters in the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13.
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Bible Passage: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. »MORE

An Honest Sinner: The Positive Power of Negative Confessions (Psalm 32)

Confession gets a “bad rap” in contemporary culture. It is considered a negative, morbid, and overly-introspective practice for puritanical prudes who delight in self-abasement and perpetual misery. The author of Psalm 32 does not view confession in such dismal light. For him, confession is a positive practice that bears rich fruit in the life of the believer. To neglect confession is the “negative” and depressing way to live, leading to misery, inner turmoil, and unending sorrow. Put simply, failure to confess sins is to miss out entirely on the blessing of God!
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Bible Passage:1 Blessed are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’, and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. 7 You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. »MORE

Ask the Pastor 2008

I take questions from my congregation during both services on subjects ranging from interpreting revelation, heaven, hell, purgatory, the Christian life, and more. My answers are given, not in order to stifle discussion, but in order to provoke further reflection on the great themes and practices of the Christian faith.
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Quotes: The average child asks in an average day... more than one hundred [questions]. Some parents would say their toddlers ask three hundred a day! By the time we're middle-aged adults, the average is down to a handful of significant questions a day. As we grow older, we have a tendency to lose our inquiring sense of awe and wonder. We forget how to be childlike. We quit asking questions. (Mike Slaughter, Unlearning Church, 82) In the progress toward religious understanding, one does not go from answer to answer but from question to question. (Thomas Merton) Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any. (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, 28) The goal of a good question... is not just to get an answer; it is to provoke reflection. (Stephen Sorenson, Like Your Neighbor, 44) »MORE

Back to the Garden: Humanity's Place in God's Creation (Genesis 2:4-25)

One month after the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in 1969, Joni Mitchell wrote and performed the song, "Woodstock," based on what her then-boyfriend Graham Nash told her about the festival. The song repeatedly declares, "We've got to get ourselves back to the garden." We are all haunted by the dream of paradise. What does it mean to "get back to the garden"? Genesis 2 offers a glimpse. In the Garden we discover humankind in a peaceful relationship with God, others, and the environment. Tragically, paradise will soon become a prison through human sin. The remainder of the biblical story will have to do with the regaining of paradise.
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Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to rule him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved. - Matthew Henry »MORE

Barren! The Prophecy of the Forerunner to the Messiah (Luke 1:5-25)

As they go about their normal lives, a faithful priest and his wife are given shocking and unexpected news. Zacharias is told that his elderly wife Elizabeth will bear a child, and that this child "will be great in the sight of the Lord" - the one predicted by the prophet Malachi who will be a forerunner before the coming of the Lord. Zachariah's doubts leads to a period of dumbness that will end at the birth of the special baby - John the Baptist.
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Bible Passage: Luke 1:5-25 5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. 8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15f or he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ 18 Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ 19 The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’ 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 ‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’ »MORE

Be Holy as I am Holy - Maintaining Ceremonial Cleanness (Leviticus 11-16)

The priest's main duty was to lead the people in holiness by maintaining the clean / unclean distinctions given by God to Moses. To be unclean was to be unfit to approach the tabernacle for worship and sacrifice. Thus, the people, in order to maintain a relationship with the holy, were to seek to remain clean. When they became unclean - through infection, bodily discharges, touching the dead, eating the wrong thing, or sexual emissions - they were to seek to become clean again through the proper ritual. In this way, the holy - that which had to do with worship of God through tabernacle, sacrifice, and priesthood - would remain undefiled. The clean/unclean laws are not necessarily about sin, but about erecting and maintaining a boundary around the holy that prevents worship of Yahweh to descend to that of the surrounding nations. Worship of Yahweh was distinct, and the clean laws protected this distinction. Though this material may seem repetitious, trivial, and even strange, it is absolutely necessary to understand the Jesus' ministry.
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Be Still and Know: Prayer as Resting in the Divine Presence (Psalm 46)

The great masters of prayer have compared the spiritual life to an ocean. On the surface life may be roiled by wind and tides. Yet beneath the surface, even amid a stormy sea, the water is calm. Deep contentment and inner peace are anchored in these depths - the truth behind, "Be still, and know that I am God."
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Psalm 46:10-11 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah »MORE

Be Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1)

Moses is dead and Joshua is appointed by God and commissioned by Moses to lead Israel into the Promised Land. It is a time of great anxiety. The people have good reason to fear. Numerous dangers, threats, and seductions await in the Promised Land. In God's opening address to Joshua a tone is set that pervades the book: Be strong and courageous. The reason: Because God's promise is sure and God's presence is assured. By trusting in God's promise and presence the people can go forth with courage in the power of the Lord. We moderns have the same need for encouragement as we also - like Israel in this story - live between God's promise and its fulfillment.
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Joshua 1:5-9 "No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. 9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." »MORE

Behold, the Glory of God: A Revelation of Faithfulness (Exodus 33-40)

Moses receives a revelation of God's glory that resounds through the remainder of sacred scripture. God's renewal of the covenant through Moses stands as a pivotal moment in the sacred story. It's themes arise again and again, bringing comfort and hope to God's people. Even more, these themes are used in the New Testament to help us understand Jesus, ourselves, and the world.
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Exodus 34:5-7 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, "The Lord." The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation,* forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." »MORE

Behold, the Master of Dreams Comes! The Life of Joseph

Joseph experienced disappointment after disappointment. His brothers conspired to kill him, but instead, sold him as a slave. While a slave in Egypt, he was wrongfully accused of rape, and thrown in prison. While in prison, he was forgotten by an inmate he helped. Alone and abandoned, Joseph's series of unfortunate circumstances results in his promotion to the second-highest place of power in his known world. Just as he was getting over his past, through a "chance" encounter, God brings him face-to-face with his brothers who sold him into slavery. How will he respond? With violence (he has the power of Egypt behind him)? With humiliation? Or will he choose the path of reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing? This message is a brief overview of Joseph's life. Joseph is a powerful example of the truth, "Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backwards." Joseph learns the mystery of providence, that God's divine purpose can be realized in and through (and sometimes, in spite of) pervasive sin and evil.
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Genesis 50:19-21 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones." In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them. »MORE

Between Thieves: "Truly, I say unto you, Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43)

In the midst of the horror and madness of Jesus’ crucifixion, one lone voice of sanity arises from a completely unexpected source: a convicted death-row criminal. Somehow, in a startling turn of events, the last person anyone would expect to speak truth and sanity – a violent criminal, an evil terrorist – witnessed of the truth concerning Jesus.
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Luke 23:32-43 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” »MORE

Beyond Blood: The Family of Faith

Perhaps no one has wanted to give up on spiritual community more than me. I am naturally independent, competitive, and self-sufficient. I know how to find the resources I need to survive and even thrive as a professing Christian. Furthermore, no community has hurt me more than those within the Christian community. I've been mocked, spurned, hated, betrayed and rejected by Christians within the church. Quite frankly, I don't need this kind of anxiety-producing pressure in my life. Or do I? Perhaps God knows best. Perhaps God knows that only in the dirt and grime of real relationships with real people will I be what God wants me to be. Perhaps God knows that only personal relationships truly possess the power to transform me. I would like to think that if I learn enough principles, memorize enough laws, and obey enough rules that I will be transformed. But human transformation is not so simple, tidy, and abstract. No, real human transformation is messy and sloppy. It comes about through interaction with others, not interaction with abstractions.
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Galatians 6:10 Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. »MORE

Bond in Blood: The Space between Promise and Fulfillment (Genesis 15)

God promised Abram an heir who would be a blessing to the nations. Ten years after God's promise, nothing had changed. In this story, a frustrated Abram complains to God of God's slowness to fulfill his promise. God reminds Abram that the promise will be fulfilled and gives him assurance by entering into a unique covenant with Abram. This story has much to teach us about God's faithfulness and the response of faith that God desires. It helps us learn how to live in the awkward space between God's promise and its fulfillment. Why does God make promises and why does God take so long in fulfilling them?
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Bible Passage: After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ 2 But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3 And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ 5 He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7 Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ 8 But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ 9 He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15:1-11, 17-18) »MORE

Carpe Diem, Memento Mori (Ecclesiastes 11:7-10)

Most people are familiar with this Latin phrase that invites us to take life by the horns. The reason we should do this is simple and it is summarized in another, lesser-known, Latin phrase: Memento Mori, which means “Remember, you must die.”
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Bible Passage: 7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Even those who live for many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is fleeting. 9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are fleeting. »MORE

Changing Values: The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:7-11)

In the second of our four-week study of Philippians 3 - a study of Paul's spiritual journey - we discover Paul's supreme value, his most cherished treasure. Paul speaks of "the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." This knowledge is not achieved by ethnic privilege or spiritual achievement, but by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. Paul's experience of the gift of righteousness gives him a newfound freedom that the law never provided. He is completely accepted in the Beloved through the work of Christ. As his supreme treasure, Paul desires to know Christ more as Savior and follow Christ more closely as Lord.
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Bible Passage: Philippians 3:7-11 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ,* the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ* and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. »MORE

Chosen by God: Reflections on Election (Deuteronomy 7-10)

"How odd of God to choose the Jews!" In this session, we reflect on the significance, meaning, and possible misunderstandings of election. Why did God choose the Jews? God chooses because of God's love and faithfulness. To what end did God choose them? God elects unto privilege and mission - to share in God's desire to bless the world. Why does God choose to work through a particular people in the first place? The revelation of God is not abstract, universal, and impersonal, but rather, particular, local, and personal. Thus, God's grace is mediated through human agents chosen by God. The chosen are not chosen because they are greater, better, or more righteous than others.
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Deuteronomy 7:7-8, 9:6 It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you--for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors... 9:6 Know, then, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to occupy because of your righteousness; for you are a stubborn people. »MORE

Cosmic Temple: Creation's Meaning and Destiny (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

In order to understand Genesis, we must recognize its significance to its original audience. Genesis 1:1-2:3 was not written to provide us with a universal time-table (creation in seven 24-hour days) or to argue against evolutionary theory (its real argument is for monotheism and against polytheism). Its purpose is to provide us with meaning - a way to interpret life in this world. In the redemption story of sacred scripture, creation is not abandoned but inhabited. Salvation is not an escape from creation but the ultimate sanctifying of creation. The Christian tradition, therefore, takes issue with materialists and spiritualists. Materialists reduce reality to mere matter and fail to see the God above, behind, beyond, and within creation. Spiritualists deny that matter actually matters, relegating it to illusion. Gnostic, new-age tomes that claim "consciousness must not identify with forms or materiality" undermine creation. Because of its understanding of creation, the Christian tradition is at odds with eastern traditions that claim creation is "maya" or illusion. We may live an illusion, but the world is not an illusion. What we need is to awaken to the true and ultimate meaning of reality - a meaning revealed in Genesis.
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Genesis 1:1, 2:1-3 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth... Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. »MORE

Cube: The Glory of the Holy City of God (Revelation 21:10-22:5)

John's final vision of the glorious city is breath-takingly beautiful. The vast city is ornate, secure, and designed as a perfect cube, reminding us of the Holy of Holies in the ancient temple. God's glorious presence pervades the city. Everything within it is holy, pure, and peaceful. We revisit the Tree of Life which blooms forevermore, bringing life to all, and healing to the nations. All people dwell in the immediate presence of God - seeing God's face, worshipping God and serving one another in love.
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Revelation 22:10-18, 22-26; 22:1-5: 10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11I t has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he mea-sured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass… 22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. »MORE

Dangerous Times: The Need for Deliverance from Pharaoh's Unjust and Oppressive Empire (Exodus 1-2)

It is impossible to overstate the central importance of the Exodus experience for Israel's self-understanding. It is the birth story of Israel as God's people. Each year, Passover serves as a reminder of the Exodus story by each generation. Each new generation must make it their own. The story opens in dangerous times. The people of Israel find themselves under the unjust and oppressive regime of Pharaoh. Three times he attempts to weaken them as a people, while at the same time benefitting economically from their enslavement. The third and final solution is the most tragic: Pharaoh calls his people to systematically execute the new-born Hebrew males by throwing them in the Nile. In this midst of this terror, and through the courageous actions of numerous women, baby Moses survives this genocide. He possesses the raw material needed to lead Israel, but he is not yet ready to be a leader. It must be refined in the desert. To learn more about this epic story, check out the audio!
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Death of the Old, Rise of the New: Two Final Complaints (Numbers 20-21)

The wasted years of wandering through the wilderness are coming to an end as the first generation makes way for the second. Two final complaint stories set in motion a series of dramatic events that rock Israel to the core. Old heroes are dying, but this may be necessary for the new generation to move forward in faith. In this session we survey Moses' failure of leadership which bars him from leading Israel into the Promised Land. We also examine the odd "serpent on the stick" remedy which Jesus speaks about just before he says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son."
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Downside Up: The Peaceful Revolution of Beautiful Losers and Spiritual Zeros (Matthew 5:1-12)

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' kingdom manifesto. It is a prime example of Jesus' "preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). As news spread of his ministry, great multitudes from all parts of the land of Israel converged in Galilee.[1] Like Moses before him, Jesus ascended a mountain, sat down, and began to teach. Jesus' audience was about to have every expectation challenged. Their ideas concerning kingdom, power, and glory were about to be turned upside-down. With his disciples in the foreground and the listening crowd in the background, Jesus began his kingdom manifesto with a surprising series of blessings, commonly called "the beatitudes."
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Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. »MORE

Dying of Thirst: The Fifth Word from the Cross: “I am Thirsty” (John 19:28)

Had Jesus desired to do so, he could have satisfied his physical thirst. However, Jesus’ desire for water, for relief from his pain, was not as great as his desire to redeem humankind. In other words, Jesus’ thirst for us trumped his thirst for water. “I thirst” is not simply identification with human pain, but an expression of God's passion for humanity's redemption.
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John 19:28-30 28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. »MORE

Embracing Mystery: Or Better, Embraced by Mystery

Sacred mysteries are beyond human reason, so they must be divinely revealed. Furthermore, once revealed, they remain incomprehensible mysteries. The greatest mystery is the mystery of Christ. How do we live with divine mystery? How do we embrace a mysterious God? How do we think about such a God? Love such a God? In this session, we wrestle with what it means to embrace the mysterious God. Perhaps it has little to do with the intellect, and much to do with a proper stance toward God that is best expressed in the phrase, "childlike faith"?
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Colossians 2:1-10 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. Romans 11:33-36 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! 34"For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?" 35"Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen. »MORE

Eros - A Holy Passion: Recovering Eros as Divine Love, Part 1

Eros is passionate love. The deep feelings that accompany eros are often exclusively associated with sexuality, but eros is not limited to it. Though eros is motivated by self-interest, one should not conclude that eros is always selfish. Eros, when rightly ordered with the other loves, is a deeply spiritual expression of love.
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Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. »MORE

Everybody Wants to Rule the World: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory (Matthew 4:8-11)

"All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." The first question that comes to mind is this: Is this a true offer? Whose kingdoms are these to give? Can the devil legitimately offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus? The tempter invites Jesus to secure the cooperation of the nations through the tried and true way of political force; to use questionable means - the ways of the world - for good ends. And the force of the temptation - its main allure to Jesus - was that this kind of power works!
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Matthew 4:8-11 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. »MORE

Faith That Endures: Praying for Justice in an Unjust World (Luke 18:1-8)

Prayer is simple, but it is not easy. What is easy is this: to lose heart, to throw up our hands in despair, to give up praying. When we experience long delays to an answer, when we face prolonged or intense suffering, when we are overwhelmed by injustice, our temptation is to ask: "What's the point? What's the use?" Jesus knew we would need encouragement to continue to pray and not lose heart and thus he gave us "The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge." If prayer were easy, Jesus wouldn't have to encourage us to not lose heart!
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Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night though he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" »MORE

Faith Under Fire: Introduction to Three Tests of Faith (Matthew 4:11)

There is a rhythm to life in this world - an ebb and flow between opposites. Mountaintops are followed by valleys. Peaceful moments are disrupted by chaos. Night follows day. And times of great revelation are followed by times of testing. One moment we have a mountaintop experience, hearing words of love from God: "Behold, my beloved child, in whom I am well-pleased." The next moment we find ourselves in a desert, wondering whether we are loved at all. It is as sure as night follows days. If you have faith, your faith will be tested.
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Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. »MORE

Famous Last Words: “Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit” (Luke 23:44-46)

Jesus’ final words reflected the course of his entire life. These eight words were directed to God as a final witness of Jesus’ life and ministry: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” What will your last words be? What will they reveal about your life – your values, your beliefs? How would you summarize your life in the space afforded by dying gasps?
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Luke 23:44-49 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. »MORE

Fear No Evil (Psalm 23)

We all, like sheep, wrestle with fears and anxieties. It is impossible not to, for we live in a world full of dark valleys, inexplicable evil, and dangerous enemies. The only way to "fear no evil" is to "know the shepherd" - to know more intimately through green pastures and dark valleys what it is to bask in the greatest promise of all: "for Thou art with me." Only this truth is sufficient to calm our anxious hearts and still our fears: "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me!"
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Psalm 23: 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. »MORE

Fearless? Why "Fear Not" Does Not Mean "No Fear"

Jesus call to discipleship is strong and demands faithful devotion, but not recklessness. Following Jesus must take priority over all relationships. This demands great love and risk - but not foolhardiness. Jesus encourages his disciples to count the cost before they commit. His disciples are called to the tender balance of offering complete devotion with great forethought and wisdom - not reckless abandon. Fearlessness is not a virtue, but a vice. It can only exist when one is lovelessly detached, blissfully ignorant, or proudly invulnerable. Find out why fear is a gift and fearlessness a curse.
[Mp3] | [Dan Osman Speed Climbing]

Bible Passage: 2 Timothy 1:7 God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. »MORE

Fighting Fear 365 Days a Year: Keeping Perspective and Faith in a Culture of Fear

In the sacred scriptures, we are constantly admonished to “fear not” because fear is a spiritual and moral issue. Fear keeps us from becoming the kind of people God wants us to be. When fear rules our lives, there is no place for faith, courage, hope, risk, or love. Following Jesus requires that we fight fear and step out “into faith’s daring.”
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Bible Passages: Isaiah 43:1-7 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’ »MORE

Fighting Spiritual Amnesia: The Discipline of Remembrance (Deuteronomy 1-4)

As the second generation prepares to enter the Promised Land, Moses delivers three sermons that remind the people of the importance of obedience as an expression of love to God and the absolute necessity of remembering their past - both mistakes and triumphs - in order to preserve their identity. In this session, we consider the importance of memory to spiritual identity. We also wrestle with the problem of idols and idolatry. This is an introduction to a most important book - the final book of the Pentateuch!
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Filling Moses' Shoes: Judges, Kings, Priests, and Prophets (Deuteronomy 12-20)

Having come to the end of the Pentateuch, we witness the death of Moses. Filling Moses' shoes will not be easy. It will take the combined work of judges, kings, priests, and prophets to do so. In this study we consider the four kinds of leaders chosen to fill Moses' shoes. We also demonstrate how Jesus fills Moses' shoes and more, by fulfilling all four roles. Finally, we wrestle with how it was possible for godly Jews who held the law in high esteem to misunderstand Jesus and even wish for his demise.
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Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-20 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak--that prophet shall die. »MORE

Final Fractures: From Noah to Babel (Genesis 9 - 11:9)

The flood brings a new beginning. Yet, in spite of this fresh start, the human heart remains the same: "the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth" (Genesis 8:21). Creation begins anew, but the climate has changed considerably. God makes accommodations for a creation corrupted by human sin by giving laws intended to curb human sin. God does this because God remains committed to the original blessing (Genesis 1:28). God's covenant with all creation will guarantee that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. In this session we consider new developments after the flood, including Noah's sin and the Tower of Babel
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Find Us Faithful: Octogenarian Insights on Life… and Death (Luke 2:25-40)

Two aged saints who've given their lives to God and temple service praise the coming of the infant Messiah to the temple. Simeon blesses the Lord for allowing him to live to see the Christ-child. He also warns Mary that Jesus will serve as a catalyst. Some will respond positively; some, negatively. Ultimately, Mary's heart will be pierced with grief by the coming crisis. The prophet Anna proclaims this news to all who will listen. Both Simeon and Anna represent Israel at its best - devout, obedient, prayerful, led by the Spirit, at home in the Temple, and longing for the fulfillment of God's promise.
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Bible Passage: Luke 2:25-40 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. »MORE

Finding Grace in Unexpected Places and Among Unlikely People: The Story of Rahab (Joshua 2)

Grace often shows up where we least expect it and among the most unlikely people. In this first story of Israel's occupation of the land beyond the Jordan, the people of Israel are saved by a most unlikely hero - Rahab the prostitute. She is a woman, a Canaanite, a prostitute, and she lies to protect the spies. Yet, she is celebrated in the New Testament as a hero of faith. The fact that Christians believe that grace is found in a cross (an unexpected place) through an impoverished peasant - a crucified Messiah (an unlikely person) - should cause to pay more careful attention to what God is doing in unexpected places and among unlikely people.
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Forced Blessing: The Strange Case of Balaam of Beor (Numbers 22-24)

Meanwhile, in the Promised Land... After long chapters devoted to Israel in the wilderness, we finally leave Israel altogether in order to gain a glimpse of what is going on inside the Promised Land. We find that God is at work behind-the-scenes, preparing the way for Israel, even when Israel is completely unaware and inactive. God's faithfulness to God's promise turns the desired curse of the King of Moab into a blessing for Israel. Nothing - not even human wickedness - can ultimately thwart God's will. We conclude by considering Balaam's forced blessing and its implication for ministry.
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Friends of God: Spiritual Friendship

Spiritual friendship is friendship with the "friends of God" - those intentionally nurturing a personal friendship with God. Those who pursue friendship with God do what they do from their experience of God's love. Their relationship with God is central to their relationship with others. Their activities flow from and are enacted for the sake of their friendship with God. And since friendship is a circle that is open to others, as a "society of friends," God's church invites others to share and experience God's friendship. In order to pursue spiritual friendship, we must learn to highly value the love of friendship. In this provocative study, I seek to advance philia (friendship love) as the highest form of love, and wrestle with whether agape is the only "ideal" love or the only "Christian" love.
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John 15:13-15 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. »MORE

Friendship with God: The Simplicity of Intimacy

God's love leads to friendship with God - a mutual, reciprocal relationship with God in Christ and through the Spirit. It may seem intimidating and foreboding to nurture a friendship with God, but the essential practices for doing this are rooted in the fundamental disciplines of the Christian life. When you love someone you like to think about that person, hear about them, read about them, talk to them, please them, be with them, etc. These same things are true when pursuing a friendship with God - and you'll be surprised at how much of this you may already be doing!
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John 15:13-15 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. »MORE

Fully Alive 01 - Brain-In-A-Vat Spirituality: Introduction to Experiencing God with all Five Senses

Contrary to my initial wishes, the goal of Christian spirituality is not to be a brain percolating in a boiling vat of nutrients. The goal is to be a human being fully alive – all thoughts, affections, and senses experienced as channels of the divine. Our senses can be gateways instead of obstacles to God’s Spirit. Quite possible, “every sensuous experience is at heart a spiritual one, a divine revelation.”
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This is Part 1 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

Bible Passage: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4)

“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53) »MORE

Fully Alive 02 - Sight Unseen

Sight practically monopolizes our senses. However, sight is not always reliable. Appearances can be deceiving. Our eyes are tricked by optical illusions. Because of its limitations, “we walk by faith and not by sight.” In spite of its incessant desire to rule our lives, we must put sight into its proper place.
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This is Part 2 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses" »MORE

Fully Alive 03 - We See Glory

The Westminster Catechism begins with this question: What is the chief end of human beings? To glorify God and enjoy him forever. Glory is central to the Bible's story. God's glory points to God's immense significance, unspeakable beauty, and immeasurable worth. Glory's connection to beauty is often ignored by Christians. Glory appeals primarily to our sense of sight: "We beheld his [Jesus] glory." In this session, we speak of God's glory, and how God's glory is central to our understanding of God, self, sin, the world, and all of creation.
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This is Part 3 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses" »MORE

Fully Alive 04 - Behold the Beauty of The Lord: The Holiness of Beauty and the Beauty of Holiness

To know God is know beauty; to know beauty is to know God. Just as God is the source of all truth and goodness, God is also the source of all beauty. God is the Supreme Artist – the Creator of all. Thus, everything that is beautiful reflects God’s artistry. Indeed, God is Beauty itself. If this is true, why does beauty play such a limited role in our spiritual experience?
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This is Part 4 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passage: One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in his temple. (Ps. 27:4) »MORE

Fully Alive 05 - Spiritual Beauty: The Art of Christlikeness

In Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, the Christ figure declares: “Beauty will save the world.” How does this sound to you: Sappy? Sentimental? Interesting? Profound? If God is Beauty itself, Jesus is Beauty personified, and the Spirit is the Beautifier, then our lives take on the quality of spiritual beauty through artistic faithfulness to God's revelation in Christ. What is spiritual beauty and how do we nurture it?
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This is Part 5 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

Bible Passages: Adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. (Titus 2:10)
Let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:4) »MORE

Fully Alive 06 - Images and Words: Faith Comes by Hearing

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Why is hearing celebrated in scripture while sight is held in suspicion? What advantages does the word have over the image to the life of faith? These are vital questions in an image-saturated culture that has great difficulty listening to liturgy and preaching, must less reflect on their significance.
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This is Part 6 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

Bible Passages: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:16)
“The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63) »MORE

Fully Alive 07 - The Lost Art of Listening: Hearing as a Means of Grace and An Act of Worship

Sacred words are a means of grace, a sacrament of Christ, a tool of the Spirit. Attentive listening with “ears that hear” is our way to appropriate these words, receive the sacrament, and be shaped by the Spirit. Listening is not passive or non-participatory. It is a spiritual discipline. We do not simply listen; we listen worshipfully!
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This is Part 7 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

Bible Passages: 13 The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.” 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (Matthew 13:13-16)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) »MORE

Fully Alive 08 - Ooh, That Smell! The Aroma of Christ a Fragrance of Life

God ordained worship to be full of sweet fragrances and pleasing aromas. True worship was meant to smell good. Those immersed in worship would go away bearing this smell into the world. The scriptures call us to make our lives a fragrant aroma to God. The very name “Christ” carries with it the memory of sacred smell. “Christ” is Greek for “the Anointed One.”
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This is Part 8 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

2 Corinthians 2:14-16: But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? »MORE

Fully Alive 09 - Reach Out and Touch

Through touch we receive sacraments and by touching others we become sacraments of God to others. The limitation of touch is its greatest strength. In order to physically touch others we must be in their immediate presence. Touch connects us with others - not as abstractions - but as "neighbors" God has placed in our lives.
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This is Part 9 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

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Fully Alive 10 - Acquiring the Taste

We can see, hear, and smell from afar, but with taste, we must completely give ourselves over to the object we consume. When food enters our mouth, dissolves in our saliva, and goes into our stomach, it becomes part of us. It affects us – empowering, enabling, delighting or disgusting us. But there can be no impact apart from direct experience.
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This is Part 10 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

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Fully Alive 11 - Transcending the Senses: Beyond the Limits of Perception

A secular worldview exhumes reality of all traces of the transcendent. What we see is what we get. This is as good as it gets. The best we can do is enjoy the day, for its significance is exhausted in its use. In contrast, a sacred worldview embraces the ordinary, but recognizes the eternal significance of every moment. It imagines a world open to something greater than we currently experience. It assumes that the limits of human perception do not exhaust the infinite possibilities of our shared reality. It embraces the fact that reality is not what it seems to the senses – it is always more. We do not find out what is real just by seeing, touching, smelling, hearing, or tasting things.
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This is Part 11 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"

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God With Us: The Search for a Loving God

The good news of the Christian gospel can be summarized in just four words: God is with us! This is a precious truth that brings great joy and profound comfort. The gift of Christ is the ultimate expression of God's humble, self-giving love. This gift satisfies our hearts' deepest longing; it reveals that we are loved! It fulfills our desire for meaning and purpose: it reveals that we matter to God! We know God loves us and that our lives matter because of the incarnation - because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in Christ, our Emmanuel, God with us. But apart from the incarnation, why would we assume this to be true? Where did we ever get the idea that God - if God exists - loves us and that our lives matter to God? Join me in a thought experiment. Let's completely remove the incarnation from our understanding and experience. Let's pretend it never happened - that Jesus was never born. Now, ask yourself, how can you be assured of God's love? What reasons can you give that suggest you matter to God at all? What evidence exists to make the case for a loving God who is humbly interested in your welfare?
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God has a Name... and a Name Changes Things!

The name of God defies conceptualization, but invites relationship. The sacred name allowed Israel to invoke God and establish a personal relationship with God. It allowed them to personally identify the God who chose to be with them and for them. The fact that God desires a personal relationship with us is not fundamentalist fanaticism, but at the heart of God's revelation in Christ.
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Exodus 3:13-15 But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I am has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations." »MORE

God's Good Conspiracy: All Things Work Together for Good (Romans 8:22-30)

Until the redemption of all things in Christ, Paul speaks of three sources of groaning - three areas where the longing for renewal is intensely pronounced: we groan within ourselves (23), all creation groans (23), and the Spirit groans (26). In the midst of this suffering - both within and without - a suffering so profound we often do not know what to pray for, we are given a promise: All things work together for good for those who love God. What is "the good" toward which all things contribute? Verse 29 and 30 hold the key.
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Bible Passage: Romans 8:22-30 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes* for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. »MORE

God's Story - Your Story: Finding Yourself in the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-26)

The point of Christian spirituality is to get caught up in the Gospel – to passionately and holistically participate in God’s story. In 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul's longest extended reflection on the significance of the resurrection, we are invited to find our identity within a story much larger than our own - God's story summarized in three days: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. It is our belief and participation in the good news of Christ's resurrection that brings hope in the midst of hopelessness.
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1 Corinthians 15:1-6, 12-26: Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died…
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. »MORE

God-Forsaken: "My God, My God, Why Have you Forsaken Me?" (Mk 15:33-34)

Faith does not come without a fight. Hope is empty apart from hardships. Love without lament is superficial. We should never imagine that we can have a deep intimate relationship with God without all the doubts, frustrations, and complaints that accompany an authentic relationship – substituting "pious froth" for "fighting the good fight of faith."
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Mark 15:33-34 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” »MORE

Going the Distance: The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17)

Chained to Roman soldier, imprisoned for his faith, the Apostle Paul uses a soldier's equipment to describe the virtues Christ's followers must "put on" in order to fight the good fight of faith. Christ's followers wage a different kind of war than the world expects - a spiritual battle of truth, righteousness, and peace. All are facets of love.
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Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. »MORE

Good News of Great Joy: Reflections on the Centrality of Joy in the Christian Gospel

The first word of the gospel is joy. On the eve of the birth of Christ, the angel announced to the shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good news of great joy for all people" (Luke 2:10). The gospel is no less than an invitation to joy. As people of the good news we are called to live "joy-filled" lives. In Celebration of Discipline, author Richard Foster contends that we need a "joyful spirit of festivity" because "it is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. They should not be. Of all people, we should be the most free, alive, interesting." Unfortunately, sometimes we feel too guilty to express joy. How can we rejoice when things are so bad? When the economy is in such desperate straits? When people continue to suffer war, injustice, hunger, violence, and cruelty? Somber times call for sobriety, not celebration - right? And, anyway, isn't joy a little irreverent? Doesn't God want us to be serious?
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Good News, Bad News: Simeon's Sour Note (Luke 2:21-35)

Two aged saints who've given their lives to God and temple service praise the coming of the infant Messiah to the temple. Simeon has good news and bad news. Simeon blesses the Lord for allowing him to live to see the Christ-child. He also warns Mary that Jesus will serve as a catalyst. Some will respond positively; some, negatively. Ultimately, Mary's heart will be pierced with grief by the coming crisis. Unlike most "Good News, Bad News" jokes, the bad news does not eclipse the good news. In the gospel, the good news outshines the bad news - being established in spite of and through the bad news.
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Bible Passage: Luke 2:21-35 21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 ”Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” »MORE

Growing Pains: Even for the Holy Family, It’s Not Easy! (Luke 2:39-52)

Adolescence is not easy for any family – including the holy family. Jesus must have been an ideal son. Mary and Joseph were surely godly parents. And yet, even for the holy family it was not easy. Growth comes at a price. It is impossible to escape growing pains. If the holy family could not do it, then neither can we.
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Bible Passage: Luke 2:39-52 39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. »MORE

Hannah's Prayer: On Receiving and Giving Grace (1 Samuel 1)

It is the faithfulness and integrity of two faithful women - Ruth and Hannah - that turns the tide of Israel's history. The downward spiral of the period of the judges is reversed through the quiet strength of Ruth and Hannah, proving that the world is not only changed in halls of power or on bloody battlefields. The change that matters often occurs in the domestic circumstances of a common household. Eugene Peterson writes, "Both stories [of Ruth and Hannah] are similar in that they are quiet stories, worked out in out-of-the way, domestic circumstances. They are similar also in that each woman stubbornly and prayerfully sets herself against 'the way things are,' the circumstances handed her by society, and before you know it, history is flowing in a different direction, the purposes of God once again discernible." Hannah is the story of new life from barrenness, hope from hopelessness, and despair transformed into thanksgiving and praise as she teaches us how to move beyond receiving grace by returning grace.
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Hear, O Israel... Confessing, Practicing, and Passing on the Faith (Deuteronomy 5-6)

The shema is the foundational creed of Israel. Prayed twice daily - in the morning and evening - by faithful Jews, it is the basic confession of belief in and devotion to God. Though Jewish in origin, it is also the basis for all Christian creeds and confessions. The New Testament equivalent to the shema is also the most fundamental Christian creed: "Jesus is Lord." Every word of the shema is important in establishing the fundamental beliefs and guiding the formative behaviors of faithful Israelites. The shema highlights the importance of attentive listening, community, covenant loyalty, monotheism, and personal transformation through holistic expression of one's faith.
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Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. »MORE

Hide & Seek 01 - Just Lift a Finger: Insights from Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam

The first session in the new January 2007 series - Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God.
God’s greatest desire is that we would live all of life coram deo, that is, before the face of God. God is closer than we think, offering us access into the divine life. God furiously pursues us – in spite of our lethargy – and desires for us to awaken to his presence. “He is never farther than a prayer away. All it takes is the barest effort, the lift of a finger.”
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Hide & Seek 02 - Coram Deo: The Divine Presence in Biblical Revelation

God’s greatest desire is that we would live our lives coram deo, that is, before the face of God. It is this divine passion that pulses through the biblical narrative from beginning to end. In order to demonstrate this, we embark on a brief survey of every major section of the sacred canon: the Torah, the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation.
It is important that we not only believe in God, but that we live before God. The former without the latter is irrelevant to our daily lives – it is religion without relationship. Even worse, it is empty of any meaning whatsoever. Simply consider how many people believe in God, and yet, this belief has absolutely no significance in shaping any aspect of their lives.
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This is Part 2 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. »MORE

Hide & Seek 03 - The Hiddenness of God (Part 1): Toward an Understanding of Why God Hides

“Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isaiah 45:15). What exactly is the “hiddenness” of God? What reasons could God have in hiding? Could God's hiddenness actually be an expression of divine love? Perhaps in God's hiddenness, God is up to something. Perhaps God has good reasons to hide.
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This is Part 3 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here.

Bible Passages: “Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” (Isaiah 45:15)
“Although you have not seen him [that is, Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)
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Hide & Seek 04 - The Hiddenness of God (Part 2): Toward an Understanding of Why God Hides

God’s revelation must never be detached from God’s ultimate will for humanity. God is interested in much more than our becoming theists over atheists! God desires to transform our hearts in order that we might freely participate in loving union with God. God achieves this through the means of divine hiddenness - God's gracious and loving response to our fallen condition and human finitude.
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This is Part 4 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here.

Bible Passages: “Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” (Isaiah 45:15)
“Although you have not seen him [that is, Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)
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Hide & Seek 05 - Spiritual Sight: Faith as a Way of Seeing

Faith is spiritual sight. Faith finds the hidden God in nature, relationships, events, and objects. Since “this is my Father’s world” where Christ is Lord and the Spirit is given, all creation holds the possibility of manifesting the divine presence. Faith does not change the facts about the world we live in, but it changes the way we see these facts, and this makes all the difference.
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This is Part 5 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here. Part 4 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 2)" and can be found Here.

Bible Passage: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1, 6) »MORE

Hide & Seek 06 - How to Spend a Day with God

All the ordinary places and events of our lives hold the potential to become houses of God, gateways of heaven. Every moment holds the possibility of revealing the hidden God in our midst. The reason knowing God does not consist of an endless stream of ecstatic and extraordinary experiences is because God wants us to learn to see him in the ordinary!
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This is Part 6 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here. Part 4 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 2)" and can be found Here. Part 5 is titled "Spiritual Sight: Faith as a Way of Seeing" can be found Here.

Bible Passage: He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:11-21) »MORE

Holier-Than-Thou Wholly-For-You: On Jesus' Sinlessness

When we think of a "perfect" or "sinless" person, we usually think of someone who is “holier-than-thou” and snobbish. But in Jesus we discover that the only one who is truly “holier-than-thou” is wholly for us. His holiness is that of otherly love – love of another kind! His perfection does not make him less-than-human, but rather, truly human.
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Bible Passages: Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-16 14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. ... 4:14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. »MORE

Holy Fear - A Gift of Grace

The fear of God is a gift of grace, a work of God's Spirit. It is the fear of God that allows us to put all our other fears in proper perspective. This tension is best expressed in the second verse of the old hymn, Amazing Grace: 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. Listen and learn how the fear of God is a good fear, a holy fear, a gift of the Spirit, and a product of grace. It will only take you 18 minutes!
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Quote: May you love God so much that you love nothing else too much; May you fear God enough that you need fear nothing else at all. - Anthony Robinson, Common Grace, 81. »MORE

Home: Life in God (John 14:25-27; 15:4, 8, 9-12)

Through union with God we have entered into the "home-life" of the Trinity. We are invited to share Jesus' "abba-spirituality." What does Jesus see when he looks into the eyes of the Father? What Jesus experiences is what he offers us: "my peace, my love, my joy." We experience this by abiding in Jesus, that is, by intentionally finding our "home" in the "home-life" of God. One evidence of this is that we obey Jesus' one commandment: "love one another as I have loved you."
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John 14:25-27; 15:4, 8, 9-12 14:25 'I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid… 15:4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me… 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. »MORE

Hope Springs Eternal: The Theological Virtue of Hope (1 Cor. 15)

the resurrection - gives us hope for the future. Real hope! Hope that is more than wishful thinking and stronger than mere optimism. Resurrection hope abides in the darkest times: even under the weight of a cross; even under the shadow of death. It endures because it is hope that is rooted in God's redemptive actions through Christ on behalf of the world. It is this hope that must carry us or we will eventually stumble in our faith. Sometimes it is very easy to give ourselves to others, to walk by faith. We need hope to stand firm in faith! For faith without hope - that is, faith without a future - is dead. Faith cannot stand on its own for long. It needs the mutual support of hope, and love.
[Mp3] | [Manuscript] 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures... »MORE

Hopeful Groaning: When You Still Haven't Found What You're Looking For (Romans 8:18-28)

If we currently possess every spiritual blessing in Christ, why do we still often feel so torn inside, so restless, empty, and confused? This longing for more, this awareness that something is missing, this sense of incompletion is understandable in light of the "symphony of sighs" that is found at the heart of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. In Romans 8:18-26, the apostle Paul speaks of three "groanings" - groanings that arise from around us, within us, and above us. These groanings are often neglected in light of the grand and wondrous themes that comprise the bulk of Romans 8. Nevertheless, the glorious realities of Romans 8 cannot be appreciated unless they are placed against the backdrop of these triple-groanings.
[Mp3] | [Manuscript] Romans 8:18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us... »MORE

How Do We Live with the Holy God in Our Midst... Especially in Light of Our Sin? (Leviticus 1-10)

Many who attempt to read through the entire Bible come to a grinding halt at Leviticus. It is slow, detailed, and plotless, filled with rules, rituals, and regulations. Yet, the book is at the heart of the Pentateuch. Although the book is a tough nut to crack, it is rich in spiritual truth. In this first of two sessions on Leviticus, we cover the various sacrifices and priesthood, in an attempt to answer the question, "How do we live with a holy God in our midst? Especially in light of our continued holiness - our sin?" Surprisingly, the sacrifices point to God's deep desire to maintain a relationship with us, in spite of our sin. There is grace in the law - forgiveness that is avaible to all - revealed in the rituals and rules.
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How Hope Saved (and Continues to Save) My Life

Hope is a confident expectation of a future good rooted in the promises of God. It is not naive optimism or wishful thinking. Hope can exist in the darkness because it transcends present circumstances, and dares to dream of a better world and a better life. The gospel message is a call to hope - on a global level and on a personal level. In this message, I stumble through telling how God's hope changed my life during a particularly dark time in my past. I also speak of how God's hope continues to change my life - and can change yours as well!
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1 Peter 4:2-4 (Living Bible) And you won't be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things the godless enjoy: sex sin, lust, getting drunk, wild parties, drinking bouts, and the worship of idols, and other terrible sins. Of course, your former friends will be very surprised when you don't eagerly join them anymore in the wicked things they do, and they will laugh at you in contempt and scorn. »MORE

Humanity Matters: Toward an Incarnational Spirituality

Authentic Christian spirituality is fully human, fully embodied. In our culture, human limitations are often perceived as obstacles to unhindered union with God. On the contrary, it is precisely in and through our humanity that we experience God. Christian spirituality is not an attempt to escape our humanity but to embrace God in and through it.
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I Can't Get No Satisfaction (Isaiah 55)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God invites all people to satisfy their desires in God. Our problem is that we often attempt to satisfy our deep desire for satisfaction, peace, and meaning in things other than God. Though this may satisfy us momentarily, it inevitably brings frustration. We long for the Eternal! In the words of Augustine: God has made us for Godself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. This is the reason we desire something so elusive as eternal peace - we have been made for God! This is the reason that though "we try, and we try, and we try, and we try" the satisfaction we desire eludes us.
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Bible Passage: Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. (Isaiah 55:1-3) »MORE

Imitation 101: Never Underestimate the Power of an Example

We must never underestimate the power of an example, for it is great. Children naturally learn from the examples they are given. There is no course called "Imitation 101: The Art of Learning from Example" that is necessary to convince your children to learn in this manner. Children learn by first observing, then imitating, and only then, beginning to master the rules and gain understanding of their significance. We learn faith in the same way. We observe others who profess faith. We imitate their actions. And then, we seek to master the rules and grow in understanding. We teach faith to others in the same way. We offer an example that can be observed. In this way, we "bear witness" of our faith. Never underestimate the power of an example. It attracts and transforms.
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Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." 1 Corinthians 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. »MORE

In Everything, Give Thanks: Nurturing a Grateful Heart in Good Times and Bad Times

Gratitude looks underneath the surface of things and recognizes that there is a goodness outside ourselves that truly exists even when we fail to experience it. No matter how dark or difficult life gets, it would certainly be darker if we felt there were no ultimate meaning, purpose, or significance to life - that no external goodness accompanied us all along the way. Being able to say with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - whether in want or in plenty - is the ultimate source of gratitude for the believer. We can be grateful in all things because we walk with God who loves us, carries us, and will carry us through our darkest hours. We believe that goodness exists outside of ourselves, inundating us with gift - and that "goodness" is personal, and therefore, loving. Along with David, we "fear no evil" for "God is with us" and we believe the promise, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23). This is a goodness we can recognize and celebrate in the darkest of times.
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. »MORE

In the Beginning, God... (Genesis 1:1)

With humility, gratitude, and praise we celebrate the beauty, goodness, and meaningfulness of God's creation. God has created all things. Belief in a creator God is an invitation to view all reality through the lens of faith. It gives meaning to the whole of human existence. Though we cannot possibly comprehend the magnitude and meaning of it all, we can rest assured that, in the divine mind, the universe "makes sense" and is not "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." We do not need to resign ourselves to a sense of futility and cosmic alienation, but rather we can respond with grateful trust and heartfelt praise to the God of creation.
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Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. »MORE

Introducing Incarnation: What It Means and Why It Matters

Christmas confronts us with the profound mystery of the Incarnation - the enfleshment, the embodiment of God in Christ. It is the moment God becomes one of us! Without ceasing to be God, the eternal Son assumes human nature. If the Incarnation is true, it forever transforms our perspective of both God and humanity. Jesus becomes the lens through which we truly see God and truly see what it means to be fully human. In this introduction we consider foundational texts regarding the Incarnation and begin to explore the significance of the Incarnation in respect to our view of God and ourselves.
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Bible Passages: Luke 1:35 - The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. John 1:1-2, 14, 16, 18 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. … 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we beheld his glory; glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. … 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. … 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, who has made him known. Galatians 4:4-6 - But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ 2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Colossians 1:15, 19-20; 2:9 - He is the image of the invisible God … 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. ... 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. Philippians 2:5-8 - Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Hebrews 1:1-3 - Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… »MORE

Is the Lord Among Us, or Not? Murmuring in the Wilderness (Exodus 15:22-18)

The Hebrew people are free at last. Free from the slavery, injustice, and oppression of Pharaoh's death-dealing system. But liberation from Egypt does not mean autonomy from God. Israel is free to serve Yahweh! In order to become Yahweh's faithful servant, Israel must learn to trust in God. As they live in the wilderness - between Egyptian slavery and the prosperity of the Promised Land - they will learn to trust God. In this session, we wrestle with Israel's murmurings in the wilderness and God's provision for them. This time of trial provides tests that will either build their trust, or lead to ruin.
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Isaac and Sons: Esau and Jacob Battle for Blessing (Genesis 23-27)

In many ways, Isaac is a transitional character. He is the child of promise, the one whom Abraham and Sarah gave birth to in their old age, after waiting for so long. Isaac is also the father of two twin brothers - Esau and Jacob - who could not be more dissimilar. The feud between these two begins in the womb. Jacob, the deceiver, takes advantage of Esau and steals his birthright. (But Esau is also too blame, because he "despised" his birthright.) Later, Rebekah hatches a plan that will allow Jacob to steal Esau's blessing. This crazy plan works and Jacob receives Isaac's blessing. But this action is not without consequences. Esau is determined to kill Jacob, so he must run for his life. It is at this low point that God begins to develop faith in Jacob, whose name will be changed to Israel.
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Jesus on Prayer: Keeping the Heart of the Lord's Prayer

Our spirituality should be simple, pure, and honest. We do not practice piety to be noticed by others but to please God. Jesus teaches us a simple prayer to guide us. The "Lord's Prayer" is a basic framework for us. Through it we approach our tender Abba who is exalted in the heavens, whose name is holy, whose kingdom is sovereign, and whose will is good. We seek simple daily provision to preserve our life, daily grace to forgive our sins, and daily protection to guard our souls in the time of trial. As we pray we become more like God - more gracious, compassionate, and forgiving.
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Matthew 6:5-15
5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 ‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. »MORE

Let It Be... : The Faith of a Twelve-Year Old (Luke 1:26-38)

Through the angel Gabriel, God visits a lowly peasant girl named Mary and announces that she will bear a son and call him Jesus. This one will be great, "the Son of the Most High," and will be given an eternal kingdom in the lineage of the house of David. In Jesus, God's promise to provide a deliverer for Israel (and for all the world) is fulfilled. This shocking news and the uniqueness of the virgin conception do not deter Mary. Instead, she humbly and willingly accepts God's will: "Let it be done to me according to God's will."
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Bible Passage: Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. »MORE

Letting Go of the Life We Planned: Four Ways to Interpret the Silence of God, Part 4

God's silence can be interpreted as "No," "Not yet," or "I can't." There is one other way to interpret God's silence: "Yes... but my answer is not what you expected." We might get what we want in a way we don't want! Our prayers are answered, but not in the way we anticipated. God is out to change our needs and desires, not merely grant them. Do we really want to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, or do we simply desire to feel better about ourselves?
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Phil 1:12-14 I want you to know, beloved that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear. Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. »MORE

Life on the Vine: Toward a Distinctly Christian Spirituality (John 15:1-8)

No matter what, pruning is inevitable in order that a vine may bear good fruit. Branches that bear no fruit must be removed and cut off. Likewise, branches that bear fruit must be pruned in order that they will bear more and better fruit. The spiritual lesson is clear: Everyone is under God's knife. And that's precisely what pop spirituality doesn't want.
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John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." »MORE

Living Paradoxes: On Becoming Fools for Christ

Just as the mystery of God's kingdom is countercultural, the practice of living the paradoxes of God's kingdom is counter-intuitive. The truth appears upside-down in an upside-down world, for it is rooted in redemptive realities that transcend this present world and its systems. We follow the pattern of Jesus - "God's own fool." We must embrace the fact that if we seriously seek to follow Jesus and live according to God's kingdom, it will be impossible to not look silly to the watching world. We will most surely be laughed at and attacked. Our frantic attempts to discover a universally respectable way of life - a life that will not contradict and upset the present world's structures - will most certainly fail. A completely rational, logical Christianity that the world will accept without question is a denial of the mystery of God's kingdom!
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Matthew 5:3-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. »MORE

Living to Give: The Practice of Extravagant Generosity (Luke 12:13-21)

When our sense of identity, worth, and security rests on material possessions, we discover that no matter how much we gain, there is never enough. We always find that we need just a little more to be happy. In fact, we are tempted to define enough as "always something more than I have now." As a result, happiness and contentment elude us. Be honest: Isn't it true that many of us think, "If I had just a little bit more, everything would be alright - I'd be more happy, more secure, more successful, important"? Extravagant Generosity calls us to trust God more than riches. It challenges us to believe that generosity is God's way to true life. It calls us to a life of giving.
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Luke 12:13-21 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, 'Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?' 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19A nd I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God." »MORE

Love Beyond Law: Agape and Its Characteristics

Agape love is a spontaneous and generous love that is self-giving to the point of being self-sacrificial. Gracious, faithful, and enduring - agape is most like the love God sheds upon us in Christ and through the Spirit. In this session, we consider the unique qualities and characteristics of agape love. When the fiery passion or eros diminishes and the possibility of philia grows distantment, agape is the fuel that keeps love burning. It remains faithful in the midst of all circumstances. Nothing can thwart its expression. It has the power to withstand, endure, and shine through all things. When eros diminishes and philia grows distant, agape shines eternal.
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1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails... As the Ruin Falls by C. S. Lewis All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you. I never had a selfless thought since I was born. I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through: I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn. Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek, I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin: I talk of love - a scholar's parrot may talk Greek-- But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin. Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack. I see the chasm. And everything you are was making My heart into a bridge by which I might get back From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking. For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains You give me are more precious than all other gains. »MORE

Love the One You're With... While There's Still Time (John 12:1-8)

As opposition to Jesus increases, tensions mount among his disciples. During an ordinary meal, Mary demonstrates extravagant love toward Jesus by anointing his feet with expensive perfume. Judas self-righteously condemns her actions but Jesus stands up for Mary, and even assigns prophetic significance to her extravagant action. The passage clearly constrasts Judas and Mary: Judas pretends godliness for his own self-interest while Mary risks respectability through her outlandish display of devotion.
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Bible Passage: Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ »MORE

Luke's Big Fish Story: No "Perfect People" Allowed (Luke 5:1-11)

In Luke's narrative, Simon encounters his own theophany. The power and presence of God is revealed in and through the person of Jesus Christ. This manifestation of God's mighty work leads to his statement of fear and unworthiness. Jesus follows Simon's reaction with a word of comfort ("do not fear") and a word of commission ("you will be catching men"). Simon is promised a role in Jesus' mission. Simon truly is a sinner, and yet, this is exactly the kind of person Jesus calls to share his mission.
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Bible Passage: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 5 Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11) »MORE

Matter Matters: The Gnostic Controversy and the Orthodox Response

The central affirmation of the church is that God has come in the flesh in Jesus. God has truly entered into our human situation - experienced human limitations, weaknesses, temptations, emotions, suffering, and bore the weight of human sin. By fully entering into our human situation God has redeemed and transformed it. Our goal is now to live fully human lives, fully alive to God. Gnosticism denied the full humanity of Jesus. It therefore offered a different understanding of God, creation, Jesus, humanity, and salvation. In this session, I examine the Gnostic controversy and the reasons why the early church rejected Gnosticism as a viable expression of the Christian faith, and instead, offered a robust, embodied, fully human expression of faith - a material spirituality. Why is this important? Because Gnosticism never really went away. I argue that an implicit Gnosticism underlies much Christian expression.
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Mirror of God: The Image and Likeness of God

We can all identify with the experience of the psalmist in Psalm 8. In the dark of the night he gazes up at the sky riddled with stars. Beholding the beauty and enormity of it all, he considers his relative smallness. Overcome by mystery and wonder, he speaks to God, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:4). The psalmist's answer is rooted in the creation account found in Genesis 1. Humankind has been made by God in the divine image and likeness, and therefore, holds a unique and special place in the world. Informed by the Genesis account, the psalmist poetically answers his own question: "You have made human beings a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). What is it from the Genesis account that caused the psalmist to speak in such elevated and beautiful language? The answer lies in the pregnant phrase, "the image and likeness of God."
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Genesis 1:26-27 26 Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. »MORE

Mysterium Tremendum: The Gift of Holy Fear (Isaiah 6:1-8; 40:12-25)

From the beginning to the end of the sacred scriptures, the fear of God is both commanded and commended. It is viewed as a positive quality - a gift of the Spirit. This is hard to communicate in a culture that views fear primarily as a negative emotion. The fear of God is not an ordinary fear - that leads to fight or flight - but an entirely different kind of fear. This holy fear is the delightful terror and trembling fascination that arises from encountering a being completely unlike oneself - an uncanny otherly being of absolute inapproachability, overwhelming power, and explosive energy. We must maintain a holy fear because there is no one and no thing like God. Nothing and No one can compare. In both passages, God makes this point in order to invite people to trust in God's unfailing faithfulness and holy love.
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Bible Passages: Isaiah 6:1-5 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ Isaiah 40:12-25 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his counsellor has instructed him? 14 Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? 15 Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust. 16 Lebanon would not provide fuel enough, nor are its animals enough for a burnt-offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. 18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 An idol? —A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains. 20 As a gift one chooses mulberry wood* —wood that will not rot— then seeks out a skilled artisan to set up an image that will not topple. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. »MORE

No Orphans in God's House: The Promise of the Paraclete (John 14:15-27)

On the final night of his earthly ministry, as Jesus heads toward the cross, he promises his disciples that he will not leave them orphaned. He will return to them. Jesus comforts them with the coming promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who will comfort and help them. Unlike orphans, who have no place to belong or anyone to belong to, the disciples will experience God's indwelling power through the Spirit, manifesting the presence of Christ, offering them the comfort of eternal communion with God. They will never be alone, for God's Spirit gives them access to the divine life and love of Father and Son.
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John 14:15-27 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." »MORE

Not By Bread Alone: The Temptation to Place the Immediate Above the Ultimate (Matthew 4:1-4)

What could be so wrong with a hungry man turning stones into bread? What's more right and proper than that an exhausted hungry man should eat? The suggestion does not appear self-indulgent. The temptation is not to turn stones into steak and ale but to merely provide the most meager provision for a famished man. The temptation may initially appear relatively harmless, but upon reflection, it proves to be a radical compromise of God's will. The tempter desires no less than that Jesus seek his own desires above God's will. He seeks to influence Jesus to place the immediate above the ultimate - to sacrifice his ultimate commitment to God for the sake of immediate gratification. The temptation is to allow immediate desires to overshadow ultimate concerns - to allow fidelity to God to fade into the background because of the pressing needs of the moment.
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Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" »MORE

Of Angels and Shepherds: The Birth of Jesus and the Angel’s Song (Luke 2:1-20)

In contrast to John the Baptist's birth, Jesus' birth is relatively low-key. The sign of the Savior's birth is nothing more than a child born in a barn to a poor family. The first recipients of the good news are simple shepherds who receive a divine visitation from a host of angels. In contrast to this miraculous vision of the angels, the "sign" is relatively unadorned and common. God comes among us in the poverty of a homeless couple and celebrated by simple people. Ultimately, we are meant to identify with the nameless ones of the Advent story - the shepherds.
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Bible Passage: Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 ”Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. »MORE

On "The Way" With "The Way": Why We Need a Map for the Spiritual Journey

One of the great motifs of the Christian life is that of a person on a journey. The earliest name for the fledgling Christian movement was “the way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). The name was based on two biblical passages: Jesus’ claim to be “the way” to God (John 14:6) and the name for the path of righteousness declared by John the Baptist in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (cf. Mt. 3:3; Mk 1:2-3; Lk 3:4-5; John 1:23). The implication of this name is that the Christian life is “the way” (the path) to live with “the Way” (Jesus). It is a righteous journey with God’s righteous One.
Every journey has a starting point and a goal. The journey is only successful if we enter at the right place, proceed in the right direction, and persevere until the goal is attained. As important as the proper starting point is, it is the goal that provides the impetus for the entire journey. If the goal is not realized, the journey is in vain.
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One Thing I Can Tell You Is You've Got To Be Free: The Gospel According to the Beatles - Part One

Every group has a message – a gospel, or good news – that they hope to transmit. This is certainly true for the “most popular, repeatedly covered, influential, and enduring rock group of all time:” the Beatles. The goal of this essay is to piece together from the music, lyrics, and lives of the Fab Four the Gospel according to the Beatles.
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Galatians 5:1, 13-15
For freedom Christ has set us free. … For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:1, 13-15) »MORE

Ooh, That Smell! The Greater Love of the Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)

The participants in Luke's story of Jesus' dinner with a Pharisee could not escape a pervasive and overwhelming smell. In the midst of a pleasant meal the strong fragrance of perfume wafted throughout the entire room, drawing attention to a single woman with a notoriously bad reputation in the community. What the woman did with the perfume was considered shockingly inappropriate to almost everyone attending the dinner. Only one person at the dinner was not offended – Jesus. To him, the odor was not a disgusting stench but the sweet savor of sacrificial and adoring love offered by a heart touched by God's grace.
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Luke 7:36-50 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ 41 ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ 43 Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ 44 Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ 48 Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ 50 And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’ »MORE

Paradise Lost: The Consequences of the Fall (Genesis 3:7-24)

The bitter and unintended consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience are vast. Their sin wreaks havoc in their relationship to God, one another, themselves, and their environment. Every sphere of life - family, work, culture, and community - is adversely affected. The curse that comes about through human sin is in direct opposition to God's original intent of blessing. Thankfully, God's blessing continues in spite of the curse. Marriage, reproduction, and harvest will continue. But because of the curse, pain and turmoil will accompany human efforts to sustain life, bear children, and produce food. The first few chapters of Genesis describe how death encroaches upon life. Paradise is lost through human sin. It will only be regained through the abundant grace of God - grace that is greater than human sin.
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Paradoxology: The Language of Divine Mystery

"A paradox [is] a statement that seems absurd or self-contradictory but... turns out to be true." A paradox consists of two truths that, when laid side by side, appear to contradict. However, upon further reflection, they prove to be compatible. "While real contradictions are impossible to reconcile, paradoxes are merely difficult to reconcile." The Christian faith is full of paradoxes primarily because the Christian faith is rooted in divine mysteries. Paradox is the language of mystery - the best way to speak of divine mysteries. Paradox allows us to capture the whole truth by simultaneously juxtaposing two seemingly contradictory assertions. When two seemingly incompatible truths are held in tension - to the point of even appearing to contradict - we have a paradox. Only the tension paradox contains can capture the unspeakable profundity at the very heart of our lives.
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Passionate Worship: Declaring God's Supreme Worth with Our Whole Heart

Worship is important. It impacts every aspect of our existence. And don't let anyone fool you: We all worship something or someone! We are homo religiosus, that is, worshiping beings. We are wired to praise that which we find true, good, or beautiful. Praise comes naturally to us because we are, by nature, worshipping beings. The truth is clear: In the presence of truth, goodness, and beauty, we find ourselves inexplicably driven to voice our approval and bear witness of this approval to others. We are so prone to worship, that we must be careful that, in our worship, we do not "sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Our positive affirmations of truth, goodness, and beauty should lead us to their true source and goal - God.
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Psalm 92:1 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High." »MORE

People Need the Church: Introduction to Five Practices for Fruitful Congregations

Jesus came to build his church - his legacy to the world. Jesus' primary mission was to create a community that shared Jesus' mission. In other words, a people who intentionally desire to live as Christ's kingdom community in the world. The world is currently hungering for spirituality. Many even include Jesus in their pursuit of spiritual meaning. But most want Jesus without his body, without his mission. In a world sanctified by Christ, people, places, and things become means of grace. The world is sacramental (matter with meaning) and not merely spiritual (matter that has no meaning, but is perceived as an obstacle to true spirituality). The difference between an authentic Christian spirituality and our culture's current craze could not be greater.
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Matthew 16:13-18 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." »MORE

Portrait of a Spiritual Friendship

Agape love acts, seeking nothing in return. Eros love acts on behalf of the self, seeking fulfillment in the other. Friendship love is the love that seeks mutual, reciprocal fellowship. As such, it is at the heart of deep and rich relationships. Through spiritual friendships - friendships with those with whom one shares the common interest of intentionally pursuing God - we are transformed. Our ego is displaced, and our perspective is enlarged. In spiritual friendships, we see Christ formed in one another - and love our God in the other and the other in God.
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Portrait Not only in the words you say, Not only in your deeds confessed. But in the most unconscious way Is Christ expressed. Is it a beatific smile? A holy light upon your brow? Oh no! I felt His presence when You laughed just now. To me t'was not the truth you taught, To you so clear, to me so dim, But when you came to me You brought a sense of Him. And from your eyes He beckons me, And from your lips His love is shed, Till I lose sight of you And see the Christ instead. »MORE

Practicing the Presence of God: Insights from Brother Lawrence

Lawrence's method is simple yet profound. Life with God does not require great theological sophistication or demand the accomplishment of great spiritual feats. The spiritual life is for everyone; for the beginner as well as the mature, the simple as well as the sophisticated. At the risk of oversimplifying the complexities of a relationship with God, I offer the following five simple steps that come from Brother Lawrence's writing and (I hope) accurately communicate his counsel for practicing God's presence.
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Prayer as an Act of Desperation: Practicing Desperation with Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Most of us exist in a state of desperation, but we are afraid to admit it. Strangely enough, we will not pray as we ought unless we are willing to admit our weakness, brokenness, and desperation. We need God in our lives. It is for this reason that we pray.
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Mark 10:46-52 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 4 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." 52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. »MORE

Praying Other's Prayers: When Your Own Words are Not Enough

The best way to learn to pray is to actually do it. Written prayers are a great tool to this end. By praying others' prayers our own prayers will be formed and shaped so that we can eventually find our own voice. However, all through our Christian journey, we may find solace in praying others' prayers. When we find ourselves wordless and faithless, or when we simply want to expand our prayer life, the prayers of others are a great tool! In this study we consider four powerful prayers.
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St. Patrick's Breastplate (4th Century) I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through the belief in the threeness, Through the confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism, Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension, Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day... I arise today Through God's strength to pilot me: God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me... Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise... (Repeat 1st Paragraph) Thomas Merton's Prayer (1915-1968) My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Serenity Prayer - Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-971) GOD, Grant me the serenity to Accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Prayer of St. Francis (1181-1226) Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where this is discord, unity; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek... To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. »MORE

Preparing a Deliverer: The Reluctant Leader (Exodus 3 - 4)

God calls Moses to deliver Israel from the oppressive and unjust Egyptian empire. Moses offers five excuses in order to escape God's call. Moses' excuses are much like the excuses we offer when challenged to do something that we do not want to do. Far too often, fear eclipses our faith - and our excuses hide the fear. "Send someone else" is often our response to God's call.
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Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing (Luke 10:38-42)

During Jesus' visit, Martha was consumed by distractions and worries. Mary, on the other hand, gave her complete attention to the guest - Jesus. In contrast to the assumed gender roles of her day, she assumed the role of a disciple to a rabbi. She chose "the better" thing - not because service is unimportant, but because the time called for devotion to the rabbi's teaching, which would equip her for service to others in the future. The text challenges cultural sexual roles, encourages hospitality to one's guest, and calls us to pursue "one thing" - discipleship to Jesus - with focused devotion and commitment.
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Luke 10:38-42
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” »MORE

Question or Respect Authority? Our Longing and Need for Redeeming Power (Mark 1:21-28)

Let's begin with a word association exercise. What word immediately comes to mind when you hear the word "authority"? Was your gut reaction to "authority" positive or negative? Do you fundamentally question authority or respect authority? If you are like the majority of modern people your initial reaction to authority was probably negative. This is not surprising. Authority (the right to act) and power (the ability to act) are often abused. Our news is riddled with reports of politicians, clergy, teachers, and business people betraying the trust given them and abusing their power for selfish ends. Disillusioned by a seemingly endless stream of betrayals and abuses we have grown to mistrust authority and be suspicious of those in power. But not all authority is bad and not all power is abused. Authority and power can be beautiful in service to the gospel.
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Mark 1:21-28 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" 26 And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. »MORE

Questions and Answers

This is a Question and Answer Session from both morning services. Questions were taken taht morning from the congregation and include: Will there be animals in the eternal state? What is the relationship of love to God and obedience to God's will? How do we deal with difficult and dry times in the Christian journey? How can the poor believe in God's providence? What happens at death? Do people need permission to die? How can we know when God is talking to us?
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The average child asks in an average day... more than one hundred [questions]. Some parents would say their toddlers ask three hundred a day! By the time we're middle-aged adults, the average is down to a handful of significant questions a day. As we grow older, we have a tendency to lose our inquiring sense of awe and wonder. We forget how to be childlike. We quit asking questions. (Mike Slaughter, Unlearning Church, 82) In the progress toward religious understanding, one does not go from answer to answer but from question to question. (Thomas Merton) Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any. (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, 28) The goal of a good question... is not just to get an answer; it is to provoke reflection. (Stephen Sorenson, Like Your Neighbor, 44) »MORE

Radical Hospitality: Welcome One Another As God Welcomes You

Imagine you are a teenager in a new high school on the first day of school and it is lunchtime. Who do you sit with? The jocks, cheerleaders, academics, nerds, troublemakers, or losers? These divisions do not go away when we grow up. In many ways the world looks like one gigantic high-school lunchroom. The practice of Radical Hospitality is God's countercultural solution.
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Romans 15:5-7 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. »MORE

Ready... Set... STOP! A Promising Start (Numbers 1-10)

The first ten chapters of Numbers possess a promising tone, recounting Israel's final preparations before beginning their journey to the Promised Land. This is one of Israel's great moments. Everything God commands they do. Their obedience is perfect. Their preparations, flawless. That is, until they set out on their journey. And then, what should have taken just a few days, turns into a 38-year long nightmare full of rebellion, grumblings, and disobedience. These chapters show the promise of "what could have been." But sprinkled among all the chapters and subtle and ominous glimpses of the potential dangers ahead.
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Rediscovering Mystery: The Church's Neglected Treasure

While the world hungers for mystery and transcendence, the church settles for practical principles and dead moralisms in the name of "relevance." We fail to realize that the way to be truly relevant to our world is to give mystery the prominence it deserves in our proclamation and practice.
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Romans 16:25-27 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God. »MORE

Remember Who You Are: The Image of God - the Starting Point of Christian Spirituality (Genesis 1:26-28)

What's your story? Christians are people with a story to tell to the nations, good news of great joy for all people. We are story-tellers and story-dwellers. It is by believing and embodying the story of God that we testify of the truth. How do we begin to dwell within the story of God? We begin by allowing the story of the Bible to provide us with a new vision of God. This vision of God changes our perspective of everything else: the world, ourselves, our place in the world, and others. It helps us answer one of the most perplexing questions: Who am I? The answer according to divine revelation is that you and I are made "in the image and likeness of God." This is the essential starting point of a distinctively Christian spirituality: the recognition that humankind is made in the image and likeness of God. It is impossible to understand who we are apart from God. We cannot speak of ourselves apart from God, for we are made in God's image. It is therefore vital to a robust Christian spirituality to remember who we are.
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Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." »MORE

Rest for the Weary: Taking the Yoke of the Gentle Giant (Matthew 11:20-30)

In spite of our best attempts to hide it, the truth is that we all carry our share of heavy burdens. No one of us consistently lives without worries or fears. We all shoulder cares and concerns that weary our souls and weigh us down. Some burdens are good, some are bad. Some are chosen; others are unchosen. Some are anxieties that will never be realized; some are fears that we will eventually face. All of them - good, bad, chosen, unchosen, imagined, or realistic - weigh heavy upon us. What will we do with these burdens? Jesus clearly invites us to approach him with our burdens: "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). What exactly is Jesus offering and why is it that he can give rest?
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Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." »MORE

Revelation of Glory: Our Response to the Incarnation

The essence of faithful ministry involves calling people to see "the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). But though God's revelation is true, full, and unique, it is not overwhelming. God seeks to win us over by loving contemplation of God's own act of love in the incarnation and the cross. In order to do this, we must deeply reflect on the significance of the incarnation. In this session, we rest in what it means to be an object of God's eternal love as expressed in the incarnation.
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Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:18-4:6 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 4:1 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. »MORE

Revelation of Glory: The Incarnation and the Truth about God

Jesus uniquely, truly, and fully reveals the glory of God. This glory, which was intimately associated with the manifestation of God's presence in the Temple, is now beheld "in the flesh" of Jesus Christ. This odd combination of flesh and glory is what the Incarnation - and Christmas - is all about. The enfleshment of God in Christ profoundly reveals the truth about God, that is, that God is incomprehensibly humble, inconceivably loving, and willing to go to all extremes and bear any cost to embrace and save us. The Enfleshed Glory is seen most clearly in the humility of the Christ-Child and the sacrificial love of the Cross.
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Bible Passage: John 1:1-4, 14, 18 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [comprehended] it. … 14 The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. … 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made him known. »MORE

Roots for Our Soul and Wings for Our Spirit: Reflections on the Uniqueness of Parental Love

Parenting is hard work. But it also holds promise of great reward. Parental love (storge) is a unique love, different from philia (friendship love) and eros (romantic love). As such, it possesses unique dimensions: (1) It is not directly chosen, but welcomed. (2) Our children are a stewardship, not a possession. (3) Storge calls for intentional discipline and instruction without authoritarianism. (4) It is a responsibility we discharge without possessiveness. We parents should not fear that if we are no longer needed, we are no longer loved. Family love (storge) must change and develop over time in order to faithfully steward the gift of children from infant to adult. Parents must learn the art of welcoming and letting go. Ideally, family love gives us roots for our soul and wings for our spirit.
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Proverbs 22:6 "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray" (NRSV) "Point your kids in the right direction--when they're old, they won't be lost." (The Message) »MORE

Running the Race: Pressing On Toward the Goal (Philippians 3:12-14)

In the third of our four-week study of Philippians 3 - a study of Paul's spiritual journey - we encounter Paul's humility. He realizes that he hasn't arrived yet - that he isn't perfect. He knows Christ truly, but not exhaustively. He still has a long way to go. Therefore, with a clear goal in mind he presses forward like a long distance runner, refusing to look behind, and straining forward toward the finish line.
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Bible Passage: Philippians 3:12-14 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. »MORE

Rushing Wind, Floating Fire, & Strange Tongues: Pentecost Today (Acts 2)

The birth of church at Pentecost is accompanied by strange events: a violent rushing wind that produces a deafening sound, floating tongues of fire that alight on people's heads and yet do not burn their hair, and the miraculous ability to speak in different languages. Strange events indeed! "What does this mean?" and "What should we do?"
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Acts 2:1-12 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" »MORE

Secret Identity: The Hidden Lives We Lead

A superhero's humility is set in stark contrast to a villain’s hubris. Villains rarely have secret identities. They do not wish to identity with a common humanity. They envision themselves as above the fray of mortal humans. They deserve to rule the world, to be worshipped by the masses. This is the chief reason they always fail: their ego gets in the way.
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Shine: A Reflection on Jesus’ Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36)

Immediately following Jesus' first prediction of his passion, Jesus' glory is revealed upon a mountain to three disciples. The disciples fall asleep and, to their surprise, awake to find Jesus emanating brilliant white light, speaking to Moses and Elijah about his upcoming "exodus." Characteristic of Peter, he speaks without thinking, and desires to preserve the glorious moment by building three booths - one for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. A glorious cloud representing God's presence overtakes Peter and the disciples and corrects Peter's misguided idea. First, Peter cannot preserve the experience, for Jesus' suffering must precede glory, and second, Jesus is unique. As great as they are, the ministries of Moses and Elijah simply prepare for and point to the coming of the unique Son of God, Jesus! Therefore, God's command is simple: "Listen to Jesus!"
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Luke 9:28-36 20 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ 21 He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, 22 saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’ 23 Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. … 28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
C. S. Lewis Quote from "The Weight of Glory": The load or weight or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back; a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization – these are mortal and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. … Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. »MORE

Shock and Awe: When Heaven Comes Down (Exodus 19:8-20:21)

Having accepted God's covenant proposal, Israel now experiences God's unmediated holy presence. In a fiery and terrifying theophany, God "comes down" to Mount Sinai. God then speaks the Ten Commandments to the people. The people are so frightened, they plead that Moses become the designated mediator between God and the people. In this message, we wrestle with the significance of this fiery theophany in regard to the need for a mediator between God and humanity. We also consider the necessity of holy awe - the fear of the Lord - to covenant faithfulness. The Ten Commandments do not come to us in a neutral setting. They are surrounded by the overwhelming presence of God - and this has significance for how we hear and obey the commands!
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Sibling Rivalry: My Brother's Keeper (Genesis 4:1-16)

God places two possibilities before Cain. "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). God's acceptance is not limited to our past actions. Cain can change his future is he heeds God's warning. And the warning is clear: "Sin is crouching at your door." Sin is portrayed as a ravenous wild beast lurking at the door of Cain's heart, waiting to gain entrance. It is a beast that is ready to pounce at every possible opportunity. "Its desire is for you." Sin has a "desire" for Cain. It "lusts" after Cain with beastly hunger. In the story of Cain and Abel, we discover that sin is a very real threat to human flourishing. Our freedom is found in obedience to God's counsel. Our struggle against sin is a lifelong challenge. A good society begins with good people. Cain's social injustice is fueled by Cain's personal sin - sin Cain refuses to acknowledge and restrain.
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Singing in the Reign: Elizabeth's Blessing and Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:39-56)

After receiving news that she has been chosen to give birth to the Messiah, Mary visits her older relative, Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. In a surprising turn of events, Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, blesses Mary and her child. Mary breaks out in a song that is a virtual collage of biblical texts. Through God's choice of lowly, poor Mary, God is beginning to overturn the oppressive power of this world. With surprising reversals, the Mighty and Merciful God will inaugurate Messiah's righteous kingdom!
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Bible Passage: Luke 1:39-56 39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’ 46 And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ 56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home. »MORE

Sleeping Jesus at the Wheel: Trusting the Savior in the Storms of Life (Mark 4:35-41)

One natural reaction to the rising waters and crashing waves of affliction is fear. When storms suddenly arise in our lives, we all too quickly assume, like the disciples, that God must not care for us. If God did, we assume, there wouldn't be a storm in the first place. We cry out to God, "Don't you care?" We forget who is in the boat with us. Our greatest fear should not be that storms suddenly arise in our lives. This is inevitable. We all face situations beyond our control, times when fear arises and our faith is challenged. But there is one thing we need not fear - Jesus' indifference to our plight! Even though it may appear that Jesus is oblivious to our needs - that he is asleep at the wheel - we know that he remains in the boat with us and he will see us to the other side.
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Mark 4:35-41 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" »MORE

So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt (Numbers 11)

Organized and prepared, Israel sets forth to gain the Promised Land. Just three days into the journey, the complaints begin. Israel first complains that "It's hard out here in the desert." Then, they complain that there is not enough variety on the menu. Their petty complaints hide a deeper heart problem. They want to go back to Egypt! They prefer Egypt over the presence and provision of the Lord. In this story we learn of the dangers of ingratitude, discontentment, and grumbling. We also consider the importance of contentment by recognizing three obstacles to contentment that arise from the story.
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Solus Christus: The Case Against Confidence in the Flesh (Philippians 3:1-7)

In the first of our four-week study of Philippians 3 - a study of Paul's spiritual journey - we discover the stimulus behind Paul's spiritual awakening. Paul completely rejects any claim to spiritual superiority or spiritual advantage through ethnic pride, inheritance, or religious achievements. Though Paul's pedigree and achievements are flawless, he counts them as nothing, in regard to knowing Christ. Paul's example teaches us much about humility, inclusion, and the centrality of knowing Christ.
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Bible Passage: Philippians 3:1-7 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God* and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— 4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. »MORE

Speaking of Love II: Comparing and Contrasting the "Four Loves"

Having defined the four loves - storge (familial love), philia (friendship love), eros (romantic love), and agape (divine love) - in our previous session, we know seek to gain insights on each type of love by comparing and contrasting them. Each of the first three loves - storge, philia, and eros - is increasingly more exclusive and calls for an increasing reciprocity. Agape is unique in that it is inclusive and unilateral - the stronger it becomes the more it includes and it is given regardless of response. I contend that a distinctly Christian way of life involves agape informing, expanding, and transforming the other three loves.
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Speaking of Love: Introduction to the "Four Loves"

Love excites us, elates us, and motivates us. Love also confuses, bruises, and wounds us. In spite of this tension, we can't get away from love. It is central to human existence. We deeply long to love and be loved in return. Furthermore, love is central to the practice of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, love is often cheapened, trivialized, or distorted by our limited vocabulary. For example, I love Dream Theater, I love my wife, I love my children, I love Maurice, and I love superheroes and monster movies. Obviously, love does not mean the same thing in each phrase. The diversity of love demands a more diverse vocabulary. In this session, we seek to expand our vocabulary to give greater depth and dimension to our understanding and experience of love by considering the "four loves": storge (familial love), philia (friendship love), eros (romantic love), and agape (divine love).
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Mark 12:28b-31 'Which commandment is the first of all?' 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 John 4:8-11 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. »MORE

Start Praying Like a Child I: Abba, Father

Praying the Lord's Prayer regularly transforms our view of God, self, and others. Through continual use, we learn to think of God primarily as Father, ourselves as children, and others as members of God's family. This is a much needed corrective to our stern views of God, self, and others. No matter how mature we become we will always need to pray like a child. In this session, we wrestle with Jesus' use of "Abba" language and its significance for a distinctly Christian spirituality. We also address arguments against using "Father" language - arguments that this language is essentially archaic, patriarchal, or sexist. In my opinion, we must preserve the precious treasure of Jesus' language - and we can do this without being archaic, patriarchal, or sexist. Finally, this message is applied to earthly fatherhood, and the extreme and lasting influence it holds on our children's view of God - both positively and negatively.
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Stumbling in the Dark: The Problem of Ignorance (Luke 23:33-38)

Betrayed by his friend, abandoned by his disciples, rejected by the religious rulers, oppressed by the political powers, tortured by soldiers, and mocked by those at the cross, Jesus' first word from the cross is a prayer to God the Father to forgive all these people. Why? Because they've repented, seen the light, or changed their ways? Hardly! The reason Jesus gives is that they are ignorant of their own sins. It is a fact; not an excuse. And this ignorance is met by Jesus' amazing grace - a "preemptive forgiveness" offered to those stumbling in the dark due to their own blindness.
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Luke 23:33-38 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” »MORE

Talk the Walk: Communicating Faith in the School of Life (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

The shema (Deut. 6:4-7) calls for an intentional, structured mindfulness to God?s presence in the normal duties of our lives. Without continual conscious attempts to remain aware of God in our daily lives, we will ignore or even forget God. For the sake of nurturing faith - our own and other's - we must not only "walk the talk" (practice what we preach) but "talk the walk."
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Deuteronomy 6:4-7 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. »MORE

Tears of the Flood: The Faithfulness of God's Love (Genesis 6 - 9)

Unfortunately, when most people think of the Genesis account of the flood they lose sight of its meaning in the developing story of Genesis. When we view it as a nice children's story (What child does not love animals and boats?) or focus on the unimaginable scale of destruction wrought by the flood, we miss out on the meaning of the story - what it teaches us about God and God's ways with fallen humanity. Clearly, the flood account has been greatly misunderstood. The story of the flood is not about God's wrath or anger. Not once does the account state that God is angry or wrathful. Instead, we discover that God is disappointed and grieved. The purpose of the flood is not the destruction of creation, but rather, its preservation. The flood is about a new beginning and hope for the future grounded in God's unconditional covenant with creation. God is unwilling to abandon creation and would rather suffer the pain of humanity's continued sinfulness rather than bring creation and humanity to a grinding halt.
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Testing God: The Proof of Love (Matthew 4:5-7)

Seeing that Jesus is committed to trusting God, the tempter tries another tactic. If he can't get Jesus to sin through lack of faith, he'll seek to get Jesus to fall because of his great faith by attempting to turn Jesus' faith into reckless presumption. In effect, he says, "So you trust God, do you? How much do you trust God? Enough to place your life completely at risk? Enough to place your safety completely in God's hand? If you really trust God, jump from a great height. For if God is truly trustworthy nothing bad can ever happen to you. Right? Isn't that what the scriptures teach?" This test could not be more relevant. Many people hold to some version of this: If God exists, nothing bad should ever happen. God should intervene with a miracle at every possible sign of danger or God is shown to be unloving.
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Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" »MORE

Thank You for Your Service: Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant (Philippians 2:1-11)

Jesus served, not in spite of being God, but because he is God. The point is clear: God is most clearly seen in servanthood. If we allow Jesus to be our chief window to God, we discover that servanthood is the most accurate reflection of God. We are never more like God than when we serve others. Jesus revealed that service is the truest expression of divine love. We follow Jesus by welcoming a life of service, by serving others without regard to cost, by placing ourselves in the vulnerable position of giving our lives for the good of others.
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Philippians 2:5-8 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross. »MORE

The "I Will" Behind God's "I Won't": Four Ways to Interpret the Silence of God, Part 2

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus prayed an urgent prayer. He prayed, "God, with you all things are possible. If it is possible, remove this cup from me." God's answer: "It's not possible." Jesus faced the "I Can't" or "I Won't" of God - not because God is apathetic (God cares for us) or impotent (with God all things are possible) but because of God's self-imposed limitations out of respect for creation's order and human freedom. What we want may not be possible because God is not willing to completely disregard the order of creation (which God established) or deny the consequences of human freedom (which God gives). Though this initially appears to deny God's sovereignty, this has nothing to do with any lack of power on God's part, but rather, is a result of the way God chooses to use his power. In this session we consider the reasons behind God's "I Won't" as well as the "I Will" behind the "I Won't." The story of "Finding Nemo" is used to illustrate.
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Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want." »MORE

The "Yes" Behind God's "No": Four Ways to Interpret the Silence of God - Part 1

We come to God in prayer because we are assured that God both hears our prayers and cares for us. These great promises are the source of great comfort, but also of great confusion. If God both hears and cares, what do we make of God's silence? How do we interpret God's failure to answer our prayers? One possible interpretation is "No." But in order to hear "No" rightly, we must seek to discover the "Yes" behind God's "No."
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Romans 8:26-29 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. James 4:1-3 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. »MORE

The Baptism of Jesus: Fulfilling All Righteousness (Matthew 3)

In an act of solidarity with sinners, Jesus joins the sinful multitude in the waters of the Jordan. In this way, he "fulfills all righteousness." In other words, fulfills the Father's will that the Son should humbly identify with God's people in every possible way. Through his baptism, Jesus reveals God's love for a sinful and undeserving world. Here, he takes his first steps on the road to Calvary.
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Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." »MORE

The Big Nothing: The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)

Jesus tells the story of a rich man who was smart, successful, and savvy. Unfortunately, he was also a fool. He believed his great possessions and wealth could secure his future. But true security is not found in these things. Possessions cannot preserve or extend life. Jesus taught that "life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Though rich, he was foolish. His self-indulgence did not bring the security he sought. He would have been better off learning generosity and finding security in God's kingdom.
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Luke 12:13-21
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ 14 But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ 15 And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ 16 Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” 18 Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20 But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ »MORE

The Bloody Stump Solution: The Danger of Desire Gone Wild (Matthew 5:27-32)

Jesus offers a radical solution to the problem of lust - a disordered desire that is a parasite upon love. The solution calls for radical, severe, and resolved discipline. It demands that we guide all our desires by the supreme desire of love for God. "This is not 'repression', as people sometimes suggest. It is more like the pruning of a rose, cutting off some healthy buds so that the plant may grow stronger and produce better flowers. Choosing not to be swept along by inappropriate sexual passion may well feel on occasion like cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye, and our world has frequently tried to tell us that doing this is very bad for us. But, for neither the first nor the last time, we must choose to obey our Lord rather than the world." (N. T. Wright).
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Matthew 5:27-32 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell »MORE

The Bold Shamelessness of a Child: Remember To Whom You Are Praying (Luke 11:1-13)

Children who know their parents love them have no problem asking their parents for anything. They are not timid, shy, or reluctant. They know the unwritten rule that they won't get what they want if they don't ask. And they ask because they know their parents love them and have their best interests at heart. God is greater than a reluctant friend. God is better than the most caring parent. God wants to share a deep, intimate, and mutually reciprocal relationship with us. Our challenge is to possess the holy boldness to approach God at all times and for all things, trusting God to provide what we need most.
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Luke 11:1-13 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial." 5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight a nd say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence (lit. shamelessness) he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" »MORE

The Book of the Covenant: Case Laws and Covenant Ratification (Exodus 21-24)

Last week we surveyed the Ten Commandments. But in Jewish tradition, there are 603 other binding commandments (613 total). In this session, we look at some of the "case-laws" in the Book of the Covenant. Even though many are strange, they do provide unique insights when set against other ancient law codes. Unlike other codes, human life was valued over property, and justice for all - the equality of all persons under the law - was the guiding rule. We end by considering the ritual ratification of the covenant.
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The Church's First Bible: Introduction to the Pentateuch

The Hebrew Bible - the collection of books Christians have traditionally called the Old Testament - is the Church's first Bible. Before the New Testament was complete the church was able to see Jesus in the Hebrew Bible. They proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ as standing in marked continuity with the covenant promises of the Old Testament. In this study, we take a bird's eye view of the entire Pentateuch and consider how it provides the foundation for fully understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Deuteronomy 30:19-20 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. »MORE

The Dark Side of Leadership: You Can't Serve from a Pedestal (Matthew 23:1-12)

In the final week of his life, Jesus was embroiled in a series of controversies with religious leaders that culminated in his rejection, betrayal, and crucifixion. It surprises some people to find Jesus in such heated exchange with others. The Jesus that some people believe in would never be crucified because he is so darn nice. For many, Jesus is more like a life-coach or self-help guru than he is the prophet and preacher of the Holy One of Israel. Always happy, pleasant, easy-going. In a word: Nice! But we must not confuse "nice" with "holy." Jesus' love is holy love - the love of God enfleshed. As such, it is a purifying and transforming love - a love that burns away sin and brings deep and lasting renewal. A love that confronts, challenges, criticizes, even judges - for our own good. In this account, Jesus confronts abuses of leadership and points to a better way. The call to servanthood and humility is the climax of Jesus' call.
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Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. »MORE

The Disciple-Making Leader: Reclaiming the Passion of Christ's Great Commission (1 Timothy 4:13-16)

Christ's mission can be simplified to this: The Church exists "to be and make disciples of Christ." The mission is "to be and make disciples," for we must be disciples in order to make disciples. Clearly, disciple-making should be the priority in the Church's work. We are not in the human potential business. We are in the saint-making business. We seek to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We long to be people who reflect Christ in our daily lives - people who love God and love others. We must remain committed to this mission, for according to Jesus, what the world needs most are faithful disciples of Christ.
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1 Timothy 4:13-16 Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. »MORE

The Doubting Prophet (Matthew 11:2-19)

It is easy to have faith when everything is going well - when life is working out as planned. But, as we all know, life is full of surprises - surprises that upset our plans and frustrate our expectations, leaving us disappointed. Our disappointment with life quickly turns into disappointment with God, which leads us to doubt God's goodness. It is during times of disappointment that we are most vulnerable to doubt. How does God respond to our doubts, disappointments, and misgivings? My answer takes the form of three statements: (1) Doubt is understandable because there is an inherent "scandal" in God's ways; (2) Doubt is not condemned because it is faith taking itself seriously; and (3) Though doubt is not condemned, neither is it applauded. God calls us to walk by faith, not by doubt.
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The Downward Spiral: From Lamech to Enoch (Genesis 4-5)

Genesis 4 and 5 are transitional chapters that take us from Adam to Noah. Along the way they chronicle the escalation and scope of human sin. Alongside this downward spiral, we find small pockets of light. It reveals the good news that, in spite of human sin and its progression, God remains determined to bless. In this session, we cover the first city, the rise of human culture - arts, technology, and religion, the cycle of violence reflected in Lamech's savage song of vengeance, and Enoch's walk with God and his strange and unusual end. Though these chapters are merely transitional, they fill in humanity's story and set the stage for God's call to Abraham.
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The Downward Spiral: Introduction to the Book of Judges

Old Testament commentator Dennis Olson writes, "[Judges] combines stories of political intrigue and assassination, lies and deception, rape and murder, courage and fear, great faith and idolatry, power and greed, sex and suicide, love and death, military victories and civil war." Judges records the downward spiral of Israel in the Promised Land. The pattern of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation repeats as Israel goes from crisis to crisis with no progress - only decline. How far can God's patience be pushed? Will God remain faithful to such a faithless people? Can God use less-than-good people to do God's good work?
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The End is the Beginning: Seeking the Living Christ Who Goes Before Us (Mark 16:1-8)

Mark's gospel ends abruptly with no closure, no happy ending. The other three gospels wrap things up in a way that is more satisfying - the risen Jesus is encountered, the disciples are forgiven for abandoning Jesus during his time of need, and commissions are given and followed. But Mark does not on such a high note. Most early Christians considered Mark's ending a problem. They attempted to bring Mark's ending into line with the other gospels by "cheering it up" with satisfying closure and ecclesiastical triumph. Mark does not provide a satisfying ending, but it is the right ending for us. The story of Christ's resurrection is not yet finished. Until Christ's return, the story remains open-ended. Mark provides no closure, yet things are not the same: Christ is risen! And the resurrection is a new beginning. Though Mark's abrupt, awkward ending offers no closure and no happily-ever-afters, it still offers good news. Jesus is alive. All is forgiven. A new start is possible. Jesus goes before us. If we want to see him, we, like the disciples, must also renew our commitment to follow him.
[Mp3] | [Manuscript] Mark 16:8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. »MORE

The Gift of Repentance: Fashioning Hearts Prepared for God (Luke 3:1-18)

Sadly, repentance is often viewed in a negative light. Its positive qualities are rarely affirmed and celebrated. Why? We recoil against those who call us to spiritual self-examination. We don’t like to be reminded that are sinners and we don’t like to be told what to do. How many of us really want to know what God wants us to do – especially if it involves change?
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Bible Passages: Luke 3:1-18 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’ 7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ 10 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ 11 In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ 12 Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ 13 He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ 14 Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ … 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. »MORE

The Gospel from Beginning to End (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

Having established that there is no gospel apart from resurrection, Paul demonstrates how the good news of Jesus' resurrection is good news for us. Christ's resurrection is the first fruits of a future harvest of resurrections to come - including our own. All that Adam ruins is restored in Christ! Christ's resurrection forces us to reorder our view of the end. In the resurrection, the age to come overlaps with the present evil age. In this overlap, Christ is conquering the powers of evil, sin, and death. We participate in this reign, fighting the good fight fo faith, aware that - because of the resurrection - our labor is not in vain in the Lord!
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1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' But when it says, 'All things are put in subjection', it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all. »MORE

The Greatest Prayer of All: Praying the Presence of God (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Paul prayers that the believers in Ephesus would come to greater knowledge and experience of God - Father, Son, and Spirit. The Spirit deep within manifests the presence and love of Christ, filling us "with all the fullness of God." Paul's prayer is a model for us. We should pray - on behalf of ourselves and others - for a deeper awareness and experience of knowing the Triune God. No matter how high our expectations, God is "able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine."
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Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. »MORE

The Holiness Code: Sexual Purity and Social Justice (Leviticus 17-27)

The Holiness Code (Leviticus 18-20) contains some very interesting and provocative commands alongside some very weird and unusual commands. For example, right alongside the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" is the command not to wear clothing of mixed materials (Leviticus 19:18-19). This Code also contains two of the passages often used to "club" homosexuals to death. In this session I seek to put the controversial passages in their context to discern their meaning in Israel's ancient setting. I also highlight some powerful commands that provide the seeds for social justice. We cannot "write off" Leviticus, but must understand it in context, and reframe it in light of the coming of Christ.
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The Human Paradox: On Dignity and Depravity

Who are you? The story of God begins by revealing a profound and foundational truth about humankind. Humankind bears the "image of God" (Genesis 1:26-28). We are "mirrors of God" created to reflect God's glory. If this is true a follow-up question naturally arises: What's our problem? If we bear God's image, why is there so much darkness, both around and within us? Why don't we live up to our potential? What's gone wrong with God's image-bearer? The answer according to God's story is this: We have sinned - turned away from God - and the consequences to the image have been devastating. Having been made to reflect God's light we now dwell in darkness. We continue to possess the image of God but it no longer reflects God's glory or God's purpose. Consequently, humankind is conflicted and full of deep and profound contradictions.
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Ecclesiastes 7:29 See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes. »MORE

The Inescapable God: Welcoming God's Invasion of Our Privacy (Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24)

In the much-beloved Psalm 139, the psalmist speaks of God's transcendent qualities - omniscience and omnipresence - in very personal terms. He does not offer metaphysical speculations on God divorced from his experience. Instead, he speaks of God in respect to his unique relationship with God. The fact that God knows everything about the psalmist induces wonder and also provokes fear and a desire to escape from God's steady gaze. This level of intimacy is both deeply desired and deeply threatening. In the end, the psalmist welcomes God's passionate and personal pursuit.
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Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night', 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. »MORE

The Jesus Christ of Superheroes: Superman as a Christ Figure

Certainly, comic book heroes reflect the male adolescent fantasy of infinite power, but they are more than that. Superman is a perfect example of this. Superman is Superman, not because he is powerful, but because he is good. So good, in fact, that he is, in the words of Brian Singer, director of Superman Returns, "the Jesus Christ of superheroes." In this message, I note the many parallels between the story of Superman and the story of Jesus Christ.
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The Knowledge of Good and Evil: The Promise and Potential Peril of Life in the Garden (Genesis 2:15-17)

Life in the Garden is good, indeed, it is very good (Genesis 1:31). But it is not perfect. God's good creation allows considerable room for growth and the development of potentialities inherent in humanity. But this potential for growth also brings with it the possibility for decay. One is not possible without the other. Adam and Eve will learn "the knowledge of good and evil" by means of the tree - either through resisting evil's persuasive influence or by disobeying God and experiencing evil's destructive power. The choice boils down to either (1) self-dependent autonomy or (2) God-dependent faith and obedience. The same choice stands before us today.
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Genesis 2:15-17 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." »MORE

The Lamb is the Shepherd (John 10:11-18, 27-30)

Jesus claims to be "the good shepherd." Like the good shepherd of Psalm 23, Christ provides for his lambs, protects his sheep from wolves, and guides his sheep to safety and salvation. Jesus makes the ultimate sacrifice by laying down his life for his sheep. This sacrificial act of self-giving distinguishes him from "hired hands" who primarily look after themselves. Jesus puts the sheep before himself - not the other way around.
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John 10:11-18, 27-30: 11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’ 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.’ »MORE

The Logic of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:13-19)

By denying bodily resurrection from the dead, the Corinthian church was effectively sawing off the branch upon which they sat. How can they believe that Christ has been raised from the dead if they do not believe in the resurrection of the dead? Paul presses their logic to its brutal conclusion: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen from the dead. The gospel is useless nonsense and our faith is hollow and empty. Hear why Paul believes that there is no value to the Christian faith if one denies the resurrection of the dead.
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1 Corinthians 15:13-19 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ--whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. »MORE

The Love There That's Sleeping: The Gospel According to the Beatles - George Harrison

By the age of 22, George Harrison had everything the world could offer. And yet, it left him empty. Thus began his search for something more. It is possible to gain the world and lose our soul. Unlike most of us, George truly possessed all the world had to offer – but it was not enough. He recognized that life is ultimately empty apart from God.
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Romans 13:10-14
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:10-14) »MORE

The Messiah We Want... Is Not Necessarily the Messiah We Need (Matthew 21:1-11)

In spite of our best attempts to hide it, the truth is that we all carry our share of heavy burdens. No one of us consistently lives without worries or fears. We all shoulder cares and concerns that weary our souls and weigh us down. Some burdens are good, some are bad. Some are chosen; others are unchosen. Some are anxieties that will never be realized; some are fears that we will eventually face. All of them - good, bad, chosen, unchosen, imagined, or realistic - weigh heavy upon us. What will we do with these burdens? Jesus clearly invites us to approach him with our burdens: "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). What exactly is Jesus offering and why is it that he can give rest?
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The Model Judge, an Unlikely Deliverer, and a Hack Warrior: The Tales of Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar (Judges 3)

You've heard of Gideon and Samson, but have you heard of Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar? Why are the worst judges the best-known while the best judges are the least known? In Judges 3, we encounter a model judge, a weak judge who uses his wits and strategy, and an impulsive judge who uses his brute strength. God uses unlikely people in unlikely ways to bring about God's good purposes.
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The Only Measure of Love is Love Without Measure (1 Corinthians 13)

"Let us speak then of love. What does it mean to love something? If a man asks a woman... do you love me? And if after a long awkward pause and considerable deliberation, she replies with wrinkled brow "well [I love you] up to a certain point, under certain conditions to a certain extent;" then we can be sure whatever it is she feels for this poor fellow it is not love. And this relationship is not going to work out. For if love is the measure, the only measure of love is love without measure. Lovers are people who exceed their duty, who look around for ways to do more than is required of them. If you love your job you don't just do the minimum that is required, you do more. If you love your children what would you not do for them? If a wife asks a husband to do her a favor and he declines on the ground that he is really not duty-bound by the strict terms of the marriage contract to do it, that marriage is all over except for the paperwork. The mark of loving someone or something then is unconditionality and excess, engagement and commitment, fire and passion...
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The Party's Better with Jesus: The Wedding Miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11)

In conservative circles, the story of Jesus turning the water into wine never fails to raise eyebrows. They cannot quite grasp why Jesus would actually keep the party going – especially by bringing more wine… lots of it! You can almost hear their conscience pleading, “Jesus, please turn it back to water before someone gets hurt. Or, even worse… drunk!”
Wine is a symbol of carefree joy. It is an element in revelry and rejoicing. An ancient rabbi taught, “Without wine there is no joy.” In this story, the wine represents the joy of Christ’s kingdom – the joy of the gospel! Thus, the “sign” demonstrates the quantity, quality, and timing of God’s glory in Christ.
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Bible Passage: On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4 And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it.
9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. »MORE

The Passion of Our Lord: Recovering Eros as Divine Love, Part 2

In the heart of the Old Testament is a song that celebrates the goodness and beauty of eros - passionate and fulfilling love. The song is identified by the superlative title, "The Song of Songs" - a Hebraic way to say that this is the greatest song of all. The best song in the Bible is a love song that exults in the joy and delight of eros. The goodness and beauty of eros allow us to recognize that eros has its source and goal in the Author of eros. God is a passionate God and we are objects of God's passion. Indeed, only eros can fully communicate the intensity, power, ecstasy, exclusiveness, and demand for mutual response that God's love possesses. Eros reminds us that religion is about passion, and not just the intellect
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Song of Songs 1:2-4a, 13-16; 2:5-6, 13-14; 4:9; 5:16; 6:3; 7:10; 8:6-7 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine, your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is perfume poured out; therefore the maidens love you. Draw me after you, let us make haste... My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts... Ah, you are beautiful, my love; ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely. Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am faint with love. O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me! ... Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.... let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely... You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace... This is my beloved and this is my friend... I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine... I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned. »MORE

The Path of Perfect Love: Sharing God's Heart for the World (Matthew 5:43-48)

If we are to reflect God's heart with our whole being and thus prove ourselves men and women after God's own heart, then God's expression of love must be our pattern. What is God's love like? How is it expressed? Jesus gives an example that sheds great light upon God's kind of love: "But I say to you, love your enemies... in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous... Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:44-45, 48).
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Bible Passage: 43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48) »MORE

The Place of Prayer in the Spiritual Battle (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Chained to Roman soldier, imprisoned for his faith, the Apostle Paul uses a soldier's equipment to describe the virtues Christ's followers must "put on" in order to fight the good fight of faith. Christ's followers wage a different kind of war than the world expects - a spiritual battle of truth, righteousness, and peace. All are facets of love. Paul concludes by urging the church to do everything in the spirit and power of prayer. He personally asks for prayer for his own ministry.
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Ephesians 6:18-20 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. »MORE

The Savior of the World Takes a Break: The Discipline of Solitude (Mark 1:29-39)

Jesus knows that his main reason for coming is to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He knows that it is preaching that leads to faith. Jesus brings a message that calls for action - repentance and belief (see Mark 1:15). But he finds that his message is obscured by his miracles. His call for repentance and belief is drowned out in the buzz and excitement. Clearly, the needs were great. How would Jesus meet them all? Especially when he cannot stop to catch his breath! His explosive popularity makes it difficult for him to rest. Where would he get the strength to keep up the pace? How could he keep his ministry from becoming a traveling miracle show - a sideshow spectacle and nothing more? The answer: Solitude. If Jesus needed times of solitude, how much more is this true for us. But solitude feels more like a punishment than a reward. We are part of a culture addicted to amusement, noise, and music. The constant chatter and endless buzz keeps us focused on trivial distractions and prevents us from truly wrestling with ourselves, God, meaning, and real life.
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Mark 1:28-39 And immediately the news about him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee. 29 And immediately after they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her immediately. 31 He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 And when evening had come, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted [or lonely] place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." 38 He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. »MORE

The Secret of the Mustard Seed: The Power of Small Things (Mark 4:26-34)

Jesus' kingdom parables challenge us to never underestimate the power of small things. The power of God may be hidden in - and thus, unleashed by - the smallest act. This has widespread practical significance. Authentic spiritual transformation is slow, incremental, organic, and cumulative. Recognizing this provides helpful insights for intentional spiritual transformation. A commitment to small things demands humility and patience. Humility keeps us from thinking too highly of ourselves. Patience allows us to endure the long and painful process of spiritual formation. These two qualities are embodied in the life and teaching of one of my favorite saints: Therese of Lisieux and her "Little Way."
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Mark 4:30-32 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." »MORE

The Sin of Achan (Joshua 7-8)

Achan's sin - hiding items under God's "ban" for his own personal profit - is the reason for Israel's powerless and defeat before its enemies. His sin is eventually discovered and Israel's power is regained. This story highlights the power of one person to ruin a community. That which we often conveniently separate - the private and the public - are not separated in scripture. These spheres are intimately conneted. Our personal and private actions have significance beyond ourselves. For reflections on this and other related items, check out this study.
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The Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31)

After Israel enters into covenant with God, Moses ascends to the top of Mount Sinai to receive God's commands concerning the building of the Tabernacle - God's portable temple. This marks a great change in God's relationship with Israel. God goes from occasional appearances to an ongoing presence, from a distant mountain to dwelling in the center of the people, from a fixed place to a portable house. In this session, we take a bird's eye view of the tabernacle with its discipline and structure and contrast it with the idolatrous anything-goes of the Golden Calf. We conclude with a reflection on the centrality of worship and consider the significance of Jesus, who is "the Word made flesh who tabernacled among us."
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The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)

The Ten Commandment are at the heart of God's covenant with Israel. They are holy, righteous, and good. They reveal God's holy nature and God's requirements for God's holy people. They give shape to what it means to Love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. After an overview of the commandments, we then consider each individual command and its meaning and application.
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The Tragedy of Wasted Opportunity: Exposing the Sin of Sloth (Matthew 25:14-30)

Jesus tells a story to highlight the tragedy of wasted opportunity. Two servants make the most of the talents that are entrusted to them. One servant hides his talent. The master commends the first two servants ("Well done, good and faithful servant") and rebukes and punishes the third ("You wicked, lazy servant"). Although each servant was given a different proportion of talents to steward, the same faithfulness was required of all.
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The Transformation of Jacob: From "Deceiver" to "One Who Wrestles with God" (Genesis 28 - 33)

On the run from his brother Esau who wants to kill him, Jacob finds himself alone, vulnerable, and frightened. At this point in his life, God appears and promises to be with him throughout all his journeys, and faithfully bring Jacob back to his home. Jacob makes a vow to God and proceeds to his mother's homeland in order to find a wife. But he finds more than he bargained for! He meets himself in Laban - another deceiver! Through deception, jealousy, polygamy and more, the twelve sons of Jacob are born. When he returns home twenty years later, he finds himself in the same situation he experienced upon departure: He is alone, vulnerable, and fearful for his life. Will Esau murder him? Jacob wrestles all night with God and is wounded, but he prevails. He admits that he is Jacob the Deceiver and God changes his name to Israel - the One who Strives with God. Though Jacob is not worthy of God's blessing, he struggles with God - and it is this struggle that God honors. Through this long experience - There and Back Again - Jacob's life is transformed and he becomes a man of faith!
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The Untouchables... And the Healing Touch of Jesus (Mark 1:40-45)

The leper that approaches Jesus is not just another face in the crowd. He is forbidden a place in the crowd - unclean, contaminated, and condemned. But this particular leper shocks the crowd with his blatant disregard for the biblical rules and courageously (or foolishly) approaches Jesus. Though he should have remained at a distance and called out, "Unclean! Unclean!" he instead calls out to Jesus: "Jesus, Jesus, if you are willing, you can make me clean" (Mark 1:40). The leper's request inspires compassion in Jesus. "Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I do choose. Be made clean!'" (Mark 1:41). In this description, we gain a rare glimpse into the feelings and motivation of Jesus. Jesus is not put off by the man's uncleanness, but rather, Jesus is moved to action by a heart filled with compassion. Jesus' will and determination to reach out and touch us in all our uncleanness is clear: "I do so will!" Jesus does this at great cost to himself - a cost that climaxes in the cross. We never have to second guess the breadth and width of God's compassion. It is greater than we can fathom and reaches out beyond the boundaries we often set.
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Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. »MORE

The Vanishing Image: Why the Sending of the Son is a Light Shining in the Darkness

"God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor." It is true that God has made us in the divine image. But returning the favor by making God in our own image is not an expression of gentlemanly manners, but rather, a reflection of our inner darkness. It is our shame, not our glory. We are made in God's image; God is not made in ours. In the sacred scriptures, making a "god" in our own image is called idolatry. Idolatry is forbidden because it diminishes our view of God and because it corrupts and diminishes one's view of oneself and others. We need God to reveal to us who God is and what it means to reflect God's image. Without a clear vision of God, how can we know what it means to reflect God as God's image-bearer? The answer remains a mystery until the coming of Jesus, who is the Word of God and the image of God. God's clearest revelation comes not on the stones and wood of the Temple or in the words of the law, but on the canvas of human flesh. In order to fully grasp the significance of Jesus as the image of God, we must trace this theme through sacred scripture.
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Colossians 1:15 Christ is the image of the invisible God. »MORE

The Waiting is the Hardest Part: Four Ways to Interpret the Silence of God, Part 3 - Not Now

Waiting makes me feel unproductive, ineffective, and inconvenienced. Raised in a fast and furious culture I delight in instant gratification and immediate solutions. I hate waiting. And I don't think I'm alone. Yet, waiting on God has deep spiritual significance. It has deep connections to the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love. In order to sustain ourselves while waiting, we must constantly remember who is with us and what he is doing with us - healing us! Though we generally are impatient when we have to wait, we will wait when it seems advantageous to us. We wait in traffic to get where we want to go. We wait in line to purchase what we want to possess. There is one other place where we willingly wait - one place we expect to wait while suffering pain with the possibility of suffering even further pain in order to be made whole. That place is aptly named, "a waiting room."
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Lamentations 3:21-26 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Romans 8:24-25 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. »MORE

The Will of God as a Way of Life

When we approach the will of God as a way of life, we live for God right where we are. We recognize that a concern for God’s will is not primarily about big events or future decisions. We discover that God’s will is about life in the present – in the big and the little events. This prevents us from using God’s will as an excuse for self-absorption.
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Bible Passage: Matthew 6:31-34
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. »MORE

Things Fall Apart (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)

Life is sweet and should be embraced with joy and gladness, especially during one's youth. The reason: old age brings numerous difficulties and obstacles that hinder whole-hearted activity. Therefore, we should rejoice in life, but rejoice responsibly. We must remember the brevity of life and God's final judgment. We rejoice best by remembering our Creator in the days of our youth, for though our strength and faculties may fail in our later years, the presence of God is the only constant in life. In short, a good old age is prepared for in one's youth!
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Bible Passage: Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with the rain; 3 on the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; 4 when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; 5 when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets; 6 before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity. »MORE

Three Reasons I Hesitate To Speak About Money... And Why I'm Wrong!

Stewardship is a huge theme that covers absolutely everything in life. Since every good things we possess is a gift from God, we are responsible to faithfully steward our gifts for God's glory and the good of others. In short, stewardship is about more than money - but it is about money! In this message I highlight three reasons why I'm hesitant to speak about godly stewardship of finances... and why each reason is not good enough to keep me silent. Check out this short and provocative message. And may it spur you on to faithful stewardship of your time, talents, and treasure!
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Time's Up! Turn and Trust! Jesus' Message in 20 Words or Less (Mark 1:14-20)

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 20 words or less? "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent, and believe in the good news." Jesus' message of the kingdom is not one strand of teaching among others - it is the summary of his preaching ministry. A correct understanding of Jesus' preaching on the kingdom is the key to understanding his life's teaching and works. In this session, we examine each phrase line by line. Then we examine how the appropriate response to Jesus' kingdom message is exemplified in the calling of his first disciples. We conclude by wrestling with how Jesus may be calling us today.
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Mark 1:14-20 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake--for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. »MORE

To Tell the Truth: Preface to the Advent Story (Luke 1:1-4)

A preface is an important part of any document. In the opening sentence of Luke's Gospel, Luke informs us concerning what he has written and why. He claims to have investigated the story of Jesus carefully and thoroughly in order to provide his readers with the "whole story" - an orderly account of the significance of Jesus. By doing this, he hopes to pass on the good news to others. He wants others to know the truth about Jesus, and thus he makes every effort to be trustworthy in his account.
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Bible Passage: Luke 1:1-4 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. »MORE

Toward a Forgiven and Forgiving Community: Reflections on "Father, Forgive Them; For They Do Not Know What They are Doing"

The church is a forgiven and forgiving community. We must never separate these two. Our experience of the first (divine forgiveness) should quite naturally lead to the second (forgiving others). Having been graced by God, we must be gracious to one another. For this reason, we daily pray as our Lord Jesus taught: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
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Bible Passages: Luke 23:33-34 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Ephesians 4:31-5:2 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Colossians 3:12-14 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. »MORE

Transforming Presence: Knowing God in the Ordinary

In your opinion, what is the greatest and most comforting promise that God gives in Holy Scripture? I believe that God's greatest promise is this: "I will be with you always." Or, stated negatively, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." At the core of every covenant God establishes with human beings are the words, "I will be your God and you will be my people." Our daily challenge as Christians is to live in light of this great truth! What if we were to live as if God were present in every place in all situations - always seeking our good and his glory? Wouldn't this transform everything - every moment, every activity, every encounter with others? Wouldn't this completely change our perspective?
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Transforming Vision

For many years now, 2 Corinthians 3:18 has guided my philosophy of preaching, teaching, spiritual formation, and ethics. Paul teaches that we are transformed by beholding the glory of Christ as reflected in Christ, the image of God. As we behold Christ, we are transformed by the Spirit into Christ's image. As we turn to Christ to see God's glory, we become what we behold through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Thus, the most important task of the church is to point to Jesus and say, "Behold the Glory of God" and "Behold what it means to be human." In other words, Christ reveals God and how we are to live. We believe in him and we follow him.
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2 Corinthians 3:18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. »MORE

Truth or Consequences: The Price of Being Real (Matthew 5:33-37)

We cannot be real - with God, our self, or others - when we lie. Through lies, we hide the truth from others, and we hide ourselves from the truth. We lie because we fear the consequences of the truth. The price of truth is high. Will others love and accept me if they know the truth? It's easier to hide the truth and live a lie. Unfortunately, we never really live. It's one thing to be real; another to be alive. Thomas Merton writes, "Our ability to be sincere with ourselves, with God, and with other men is really proportionate to our capacity for sincere love. And the sincerity of our love depends in large measure upon our capacity to believe ourselves loved. Most of the moral and mental and religious complexities of our time go back to our desperate fear that we are not and can never be really loved by anyone."
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Matthew 5:33-37 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one." »MORE

Ultimate Action Figure: Three Pictures of Faithful Ministry (2 Timothy 2:1-7)

Many view ministers as nothing but effeminate and incompetent individuals, sniveling wimps who are unable to hold down a "real job." But according to Paul, ministers are action heroes. Paul offers three examples of faithful ministry: A faithful minister must be like a single-minded soldier, a self-disciplined and law-abiding athlete, and a hard-working farmer.
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2 Timothy 2:1-7 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; 2 and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. 3 Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier's aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5 And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6 It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. »MORE

Union with God: The Matrix of Salvation (John 14:15-23)

In Jesus' Upper Room Discourse - his last extended discussion with his disciples before his crucifixion - Jesus encourages the disciples that his life and death will not be in vain. By manifesting the presence of Christ, the Holy Spirit will provide the means for an intimate relationship with God. This intimacy is deep, abiding, and complete: "On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." The language of deep intimacy climaxes with Jesus' promise that he and the Father will "make our home" with the disciples. The union is complete! Through the Spirit, humanity becomes the habitation of the thrice-holy God!
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John 14:15-23 15 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18 ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 n a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ 23 Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. »MORE

Virtual Piety: The Leaven of Hypocrisy (Luke 11:37-12:3)

"The Church is full of hypocrites!" For many, this accusation is one of the greatest obstacles to belief. Hypocrisy within the church is a common reason people reject the church and its teachings. This is troubling. It strikes too close to home. It places the blame on those of us who love the church and share its mission. We stand accused and it hurts - no one likes to be called a hypocrite! Granted, the charge of hypocrisy is rarely offered with pure motives. The accusation provides people with a convenient excuse to neglect the church and its message. In spite of this, concern about hypocrisy in the church is valid. And Jesus shares this concern! We must heed Christ's warning to beware of the leaven of hypocrisy. This warning was not given to the Pharisees but to Jesus' disciples. It is not hypothetical, but real - a potential threat to our faith. It is a danger we all face. We are all capable of practicing it. For this reason, it is our wisdom to understand what hypocrisy is and why it is so spiritually devastating.
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Luke 12:1-3 Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered in thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops." »MORE

Walk Wet! Remember Your Baptism (Mark 1:1-11)

We've just come away from the excitement and fanfare of the Christmas season. We make a big deal out of the birth of Jesus, but to the gospel writers, the baptism of Jesus is more significant. Only two gospels record the Christmas story - all four gospels speak of Jesus' baptism. Why is Jesus' baptism given greater emphasis than the birth accounts? Why does it matter? What does it mean? And how does it relate to our baptism? In this session, we explore the answers to these questions.
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Mark 1:9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved;* with you I am well pleased." »MORE

Walking in the Spirit: The Personal Ministry of the Holy Spirit

The Son and the Spirit are the "two arms" of the God, sent to draw us into the embrace of the Father. The challenge of our entire baptized lives is to continually discover - and rediscover - what it means to find ourselves in the eternal embrace of the Triune God. The desire to become like Christ by bearing the Fruit of the Spirit is a good first step.
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John 16:12-15 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." »MORE

Warning: Side Effects of Religion May Include...

In our litigious society, warning labels are affixed to most products in order to reveal possible negative consequences of using a product. Jesus believed that religion should come with a warning label. There are possible negative consequences of practicing religion - side effects that can be toxic. Jesus warns of one dangerous side effect of religion: "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1). Jesus' warning can be reduced to one word: Warning - hypocrisy! Jesus offers three concrete examples of toxic religion to prove his point. He warns of the potential dangers of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting - three fundamental practices of religious people.
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Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 "Beware of practicing your piety [lit. righteousness] before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." »MORE

We Are Family! Reflections on the Third Word from the Cross: "Woman, behold your son ... Behold your mother." (John 19:23-27)

The metaphor of family is applied to the entire life and mission of the faith community. It speaks of a shared commitment, mutual responsibility, and common identity. In our self-absorbed, fragmented culture, we need this metaphor to expand the horizon of our care and compassion. After all, most of us would do anything for our families.
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John 19:23-27 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it." This was to fulfil what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." 25 And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. »MORE

We Shall All Be Changed: Introduction to 1 Corinthians 15

The flurry of activities and services prior to Easter sometimes wears out pastors and parishioners to the point that we fail to fully celebrate the meaning and significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. There is no doubt about it: From its earliest days, the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was at the heart of the Church's witness and life. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul seeks to unite a divided church around its original mission and message - the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this chapter we possess Paul's extended reflection on the meaning and significance of resurrection - both now and for eternity. In this session, we seek a bird's eye view of the entire chapter, beginning at the end, in order to get "the big picture" on Paul's perspective. In coming weeks, we will cover the text in a more detailed fashion.
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We Shall Be Like Him: On Bodily Resurrection (1 Cor. 15:35-49)

One cannot imagine a greater nightmare than to be doomed to eternal existence as a reanimated corpse - a zombie. For many modern people, this is exactly what comes to mind when they initially consider the idea of bodily resurrection. They are, quite understandly, revolted at the prospect. But this is not resurrection from a biblical perspective...
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1 Corinthians 15:35-49 35 But someone will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?' 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is* from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. »MORE

Wedding Proposal: God's Invitation to Covenant (Exodus 19:1-8)

We've arrived at the very heart of Exodus - God's covenant with Israel summarized in the Ten Commandments. Prior to giving the commandments, God invites Israel to a covenant relationship. Entering into covenant is no small matter: It is a deep expression of loyalty, fidelity, and commitment. This calls for trust and obedience. God makes claims on Israel, and Israel freely responds to God's claims and invitation with full acceptance. In our reflections on the significance of this passage we wrestle with the relationship of law and grace, the challenge of our self-centered therapeutic culture that resists obedience to any person but the self. Finally, we consider how weekly worship is a time of covenant renewal when God's people remember God's saving works, God's claim on our lives and expectations of us, and then renew our commitment to God's covenant.
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What About the Canaanites? Three Dead Ends (Deuteronomy 7, 9; Joshua 11)

In the Pentateuch, God calls Israel to enter the Promised Land, defeat the Canaanites, and occupy the land. This unique, limited, and unrepeatable command is sometimes used to justify violence in the name of God. In this session, we seek to understand what's really going on by describing three deads that simply don't work: (1) It's an Old Testament problem that the New Testament corrects, (2) It was a case of mistaken zeal, and (3) It is simply an allegory of spiritual warfare. After exposing the weakness of these three explanations we begin to look at this event in light of three frameworks: (1) The framework of the Old Testament story, (2) The framework of God's sovereign justice, and (3) The framework of God's plan to bless the nations. In this and the following session, I am relying heavily on Christopher J. H. Wright's book The God I Don't Understand.
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Deuteronomy 7:1-2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and occupy, and he clears away many nations before you--the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations mightier and more numerous than you-- 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. »MORE

What About the Canaanites? Three Frameworks for Understanding

In the Pentateuch, God calls Israel to enter the Promised Land, defeat the Canaanites, and occupy the land. This unique, limited, and unrepeatable command is sometimes used to justify violence in the name of God. After describing three "dead ends" to understanding this last week, we now move on to place this unique, limited, and unrepeated command in the context of the whole Bible.In this session, we look at this event in light of three frameworks: (1) The framework of the Old Testament story, (2) The framework of God's sovereign justice, and (3) The framework of God's plan to bless the nations. In this and the following session, I am relying heavily on Christopher J. H. Wright's book The God I Don't Understand.
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Deuteronomy 7:1-2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and occupy, and he clears away many nations before you--the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations mightier and more numerous than you-- 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. »MORE

What in the World is Worldliness? (1 John 2:15-17)

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17). Love of the world is set in stark contrast to the love of God. John clearly states "the love of the Father is not in the one" who loves the world (1 John 2:15). As good Christians, we do not want to be worldly. We want our devotion to God to be real and faithful and fruitful. We desperately want to refrain from worldliness in any form - to live differently from those who do not share our faith. This is the danger of wrongly defining worldliness. When we wrongly define worldliness we trivialize it. Without a biblical definition of worldliness, our attempts at opposing it often trivialize what it really is. What in the world is worldliness? For our own sake, for the gospel's sake, and for the sake of authentic Christian witness, we desperately need a perspective of worldliness that neither ignores nor trivializes it. The Apostle John's warning and description in 1 John 2:15-17 is a good place to begin.
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What is a Hero? Superman as a Moral Example

We live in a cynical age that has experienced the death of ideals. We need heroes with integrity who courageously use their abilities for the common good of all. Like incarnate gods walking among us, epic heroes embody our ideals and inspire us to greatness. Superman is the perfect combination of power incarnate and absolute goodness. His power is completely under the control of his convictions and wisdom. It is his own internal commitment to justice that prevents him from abusing his power. And he is willing to pay the cost to act heroicly. In this session, we consider Superman as a moral example - primarily because Superman reflects Jesus Christ.
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What's Your Story? Finding Ourselves in the Story of God

"It's only a story" is a flippant response that must be rejected. Stories possess a wondrous and dangerous power. Indeed, stories are the most powerful means of transformation known to humanity. "You are your stories. You are the product of all the stories you have heard and lived... They have shaped how you see yourself, the world, and your place in it." Ultimately, truth is storied. Stories do not simply illustrate truth - they are truth. The Bible is a storybook, not an encyclopedia. It presents the story of God at work in human history and human lives. The climax of the Bible's story is the gospel (literally, "good news"). The gospel is the story of God's redemptive work in Christ, planned and executed by God for the good of all people. Amazingly, the deepest truth about God is found by means of a simple story! It is this story which gives us identify, meaning, and hope. It gives us a past, present, and a future. It is this story that we tell and indwell. As the old hymn states, "We've a story to tell to the nations!" As the angels sang on Christmas morning, this story is "good news of great joy for all the people." This is the story that we are to tell and indwell. It is no use being a storyteller unless we are storydwellers.
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When I'm Sixty Four: Growing Old with the Beatles

Having looked closely at the spiritual journey of George Harrison in our previous session, we conclude the series The Gospel According to the Beatles with a look at the spiritual journeys of the other three Beatles. We consider Lennon's idealism, McCartney's optimism, and Ringo's explicit acceptance of God. Very few bands offer us the luxury of accompanying its members down the long and winding road of life - a journey that takes longer than we think, takes turns we don't expect, but ultimately, leads to God.
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Where's Jesus? The Significance of the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11)

The ascension of Jesus is the hinge on which the two-volume epic of Luke/Acts turns. It is found at the end of Luke and the beginning of Acts. The ascension is both the climax of Jesus' ministry in Luke and the key to understanding the church in Acts. The ascension connects the story of Jesus with the story of the church. The ascension was central to the church's early identity. What, then, is it's significance? Where is Jesus? Even more importantly: Where is the church in its relation to the ascended Lord. Get ready for the "new physics" of the ascension!
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Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying* with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This', he said, 'is what you have heard from me; 5f or John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with* the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' 7 He replied, 'It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.' »MORE

Who Speaks for God? Mutinies Against Moses (Numbers 12, 16-17)

Petty grumblings in the wilderness lead to mutiny against God's chosen leader: Moses. In this session, we consider three stories of rebellion against Moses that spreads from Miriam and Aaron, to Korah and the Levites, and finally to the whole congregation. In all the mutinies, Moses remains humble, and God maintains his choice of Moses. From the stories, we reflect on lessons in leadership, including the need for order and structure, and the gift that leadership is for a faith community. Roles, responsibilities, and positions of authority are not necessarily oppressive. When practiced rightly, leadership becomes a great gift for the whole community of God.
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Why is God's Will so Hard?

God’s will challenges our natural tendency to egocentrism and calls us to a theocentric perspective of life. We tend to harbor the illusion that the world revolves around us and our desires. After all, our experience is more real to us than anything else. This causes us to be skeptical and dismissive of what we do not experience. Tragically, this is our sin.
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Bible Passage: Romans 8:13-15
If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption by which we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ »MORE

With Arms Wide Open (Revelation 22:12-21)

In the final words of the Bible, Jesus promises that he will soon return to consummate all that he began during his earthly ministry. Nothing can thwart the cosmic Christ who transcends time and whose work is complete. The Spirit and the bride (the Church) respond to Jesus' promise with patient, yet passionate, expectation: "Come, Lord Jesus!" A final invitation to receive the free gift of life is offered to all who are thirsty. The final word - grace - says it all. God's grace mediated through Jesus is the basis for our faith, hope, and love.
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Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21: 12 ”See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 16 ”It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. 20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. »MORE

Yahweh vs Pharaoh: The Fall of the Egyptian Empire (Exodus 5 - 11)

Moses' first encounter with Pharaoh does not go as planned. Pharaoh accuses the Hebrews of being lazy and tightens his grip on the them - increasing his demands on them. The Hebrews and Moses are so broken that they cannot believe the good news of God's liberating power. In spite of their unbelief, God acts - the plagues begin and Pharaoh's hard-heartedness is exposed for the foolishness it is.
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Exodus 5:1-2 Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.'" 2 But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." »MORE

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet! The Invitation at the Heart of Evangelism (John 1:35-51)

It is through human witness that others are led to recognize Jesus as the Christ. The invitation to "Come and see" is at the heart of Christian evangelism. But more is needed from us than an invitation. We must have something worth seeing. Our great challenge is to live as disciples and create a place that is worth seeing - a place where heaven and earth intersect.
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John 1:35-51 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you come to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." »MORE

You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide! The Omnipresence of God (Psalm 139:7-12)

God is omnipresent, that is, God is everywhere present in all God's fullness in all God's creation. God both transcends and fills the heavens and the earth. There is no place in the created universe where God is not. We can run from God all want - and God allows us this freedom - but we cannot hide! No matter what we do or where we go, we cannot hide from God - God shows up at the end of every path. Even in our darkest moments and most difficult experiences, God is there. We may not be able to see God, but God sees us - and holds us.
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Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night', 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. »MORE

You've Got a Friend in Me: Ancient Wisdom on Friendship

In comparison to family love and romantic love, friendship is often viewed as the least important expression of love. But it may be the most important! To the ancient Greeks, friendship was one of the highest of human virtues. It represented a rational, tranquil, and freely chosen form of love. The Jewish scriptures also speak highly of friendship. In this session, we look at ancient wisdom from the Proverbs on the qualities of a good friend - an the dangers of a bad friend.
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Your Life Matters! Make It Count! The Fruit of Resurrection Faith (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)

The promise of bodily resurrection in the future has practical significance in the present. Resurrection is not a "pie-in-the-sky" belief. Instead, the future promise of resurrection calls us to courageously and passionately participate in the work of Christ in the present. Because of Christ's resurrection, we do not share in Sisyphus' horrific and maddening fate. Our actions are not pointless, meaningless, and empty of significance. With faith in God's promise of future resurrection, we passionately give ourselves to the Lord's work, for we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
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1 Corinthians 15:57-58: 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Prayer of Archbishop George Romero It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts; it's even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection; no pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it's a beginning - a step along the way. It's an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the result. But that's the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are the workers, not master builders. We are the ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own. Amen. »MORE

Zeal: Fighting Sloth with Godly Passion

Sloth is a deadly sin that chokes the spiritual life out of us. It is apathy, spiritual indifference, moral carelessness. It is expressed in a life consumed by trivial passions, immobilizing anxiety, restless boredom, and cold cynicism. Its antidote is zeal - ardent devotion, fervent enthusiam, godly passion. Without zeal, we are unmotivated, cold, and lifeless. Some may fear fanaticism - and this is always a concern. Bad zeal is selfish, harmful, and destructive. However, godly zeal is concerned with manifesting the gracious, merciful, loving heart of God.
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Bible Reading: Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. (Romans 12:9-12) »MORE