Psalm 78:1-8 Parenting with Purpose A young man said to the psychiatrist, “I had a strange dream last night. I dreamed you were my mother. I woke up and couldn’t understand it. Why should I dream you were my mother?” The psychiatrist said, “Well, what did you do after having the dream?” “I had this appointment with you first thing in the morning, so I grabbed a cookie and a diet soda for breakfast and rushed out here.” The psychiatrist... Read more
Sex, God, and the Conservative Church by Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, PhD In Chapter One, Sellers critiques the Evangelical church and its conservative approach to sexuality. She describes how purity rings, and abstinence campaigns help to develop a culture of sexual shame. She uses a simple illustration to describe this approach (73): “‘Imagine for a moment one of those huge lollipops, the kind that you buy at an amusement park candy store. Take off the wrapper, and pass it around... Read more
Enduring Pain in Light of Eternity May 15, 2017 Year A Psalm 102:1-17 My earthly pain is nothing compared to the eternal glory of God. The psalmist here shares a prayer that expresses his pain to God. He complains about his pain in a lament – a type of psalm where the writer expresses his sadness at (in this case) his pain. The psalmist cries out for help because he is in pain. “Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry... Read more
5 Cries to God for My Protection May 11, 2017 Year A Psalm 31:1-5 In the movies, Superman is not just an American hero. He is Lois Lane’s protector. In the original movie Superman, he comes to the rescue of Lois Lane. In Superman II, Superman turns back time to save Lois even after she has died. Superman moves Earth to protect her. In the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie, Superman is instantly there to protect Lois... Read more
The Great Responsibility for the Regathering of God’s People May 10, 2017 Jeremiah 23:1-8 God is regathering His people. He is bringing together His flock. As Romans 9-11 shows, the time of the Gentiles is the period when God will gather His flock from the world outside of Israel. It is the reason that Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus took the time to gather followers from among His people. However, the Jews rejected Him. In the... Read more
7 Better Things in Life May 10, 2017 Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 Solomon pauses in this chapter, which begins the second half of the book. Here, Solomon seems to reflect on the wisdom he has shared in the previous six chapters. As a result, he reflects on his experience and shares seven better things. 1. Honor is better than luxury (Ecclesiastes 7:1) “A good name is better than fine perfume…” (Ecclesiastes 7:1, HCSB) The Teacher begins and ends this section with a... Read more
Contemporary Churches by Rev. Louis F. Kavar, Ph.D. Contemporary Churches by Louis F. Kavar, is another book that addresses the problem of the church’s inability to engage the culture. The answer, Kavar claims is a “Spiritual Transformation of the Congregation.” Kavar states that “As culture changes, so should the church. However, the church has been one place where change has been slow to happen” (8). Kavar begins his book by diagnosing the problem with the local church. For example, he... Read more
Daniel 1:1-21 How to Live Life Without Compromising My Faith Introduction: Different countries have different cultural norms, and what is appropriate in one culture may be offensive in another culture. For example, you should never touch a person’s head in Thailand; the head is considered sacred. In Portugal you should never write anything in red ink; it is very offensive. Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore and can result in a large fine. In our message today Daniel illustrates for... Read more
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 You Only Live Once for Eternity You may have heard the expression YOLO. It’s an acronym. It means You Only Live Once. It is similar to the phrase Carpe Diem – seize the day. One should make the most out of life because sometimes you will die. But death is not the end. Death is a portal into eternity. FOUR UNKNOWNS ABOUT DEATH 1. We don’t know how we are born or HOW death works. 2. We... Read more
God delivers. He is not just a delivery man that brings good things to you. Instead, God provides ways to deliver His people through difficult circumstances and situations. God delivered His people Israel and He will do the same for you. Read more
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