‘Faith’ is a word that is often bandied about. But what does it mean to have Christian faith? What does it mean to truly believe God? Today’s story from Genesis 22 may be the supreme example of faith in the Old Testament. In Abraham’s harrowing experience, we catch a breathtaking vision of what faith is,…
Why is the world so messed up? Why is life so hard and frustrating? Why is there so much suffering and heartache? And most importantly, what is the remedy? What is the solution? To answer these questions, we need an accurate description of the problem and an effective prescription to solve it. We find both…
Shocking and scandalous are Jesus’ words in John 6: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Two thousand years later, we recognize He wasn’t advocating cannibalism. But do we always recognize that what He IS saying may be even more provocative? Today…
In times of great cultural upheaval, there is a simple spiritual discipline that Christians the world over have found to be essential for maintaining faith in the midst of trials and tribulations. This discipline takes little time, requires no seminary training, and yet possesses an incredible spiritual potency. Indeed, it can utterly transform our lives…
Suffering can be one of the seemingly insoluble mysteries in life. Philosophers call it the ‘problem of suffering.’ And part of what makes it so challenging is that it can appear to be completely pointless, wasted, agony. Paul, himself writing in the midst of great personal affliction here in 2nd Corinthians, peels back the veil…
How do we know that we are Christians? How do we know that we are saved? When our hearts and consciences trouble us and cause us to wonder or fear, what do we do? How do we respond? For anyone who has wondered about their salvation, today’s passage is a beautiful exposition on what it…
John 3.16 is the most famous verse in the Bible, ‘For God so loved the world…’. But it begs a big question, ‘Why is this?’ What’s the big deal? Doesn’t everyone already know that God is love, regardless of your faith or religion, or spiritual background? Isn’t this statement just a redundant platitude? This morning…
Sin. We don’t like to talk about it. We don’t like to think about it. And yet we know that God takes it seriously. Jesus died to save us from it. But how do we walk the line between legalism and licentiousness? How should a Christian approach sin without ignoring it or becoming overly preoccupied…
2020 has been the hardest year in recent memory. COVID has upended our world in so many ways – physically, emotionally, relationally, and even spiritually. As we look to 2021 and pray for a new day of healing and hope, the apostle Paul gives us a beautiful reminder of how to start this year on the right foot. It’s not a bunch…
The apostle Peter declares, “If you suffer for righteousness’ sake you will be blessed.” In our age of immense suffering, what does it mean to suffer y, and what are these blessings God promises? In today’s passage Peter not only shows us ‘how’ to suffer righteously, but he also gives us the ‘why’ – the…