Psalm 136:1-26 God’s Love “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1, ESV) We just sang the song “Forever” which comes from this psalm. When I hear and sing that song, I am reminded of an experience as pastor of the International Baptist Church in Bremen. We had a young man who was baptized, and he requested the song “Forever.” When it came time for the song to be sung, he... Read more
March 29, 2016 Year C Judges 4:17-23 It’s been a bad day for Sisera. He has been defeated by the hand of God through an act of confusion(Judges 4:15-16). Then he tries to hide from his enemies. Sisera seeks the help of a Kenite (Judges 4:17). She lures him (Judges 4:18), and offers him a drink (Judges 4:19). The problem is that Sisera doesn’t know with whom he should trust. He knows whom he can’t trust. This is why he... Read more
Adventures in Soulmaking by Troy Caldwell, M.D. Adventures in Soulmaking by Troy Caldwell, M.D. is a book which shares stories and principles of spiritual formation and depth psychology. The book if divided into two parts. Part One describes “The Kingdom Within,” and Part Two investigates “Keys to the Open Heart.” The first part of Adventures in Soulmaking is titled Discovering the Kingdom Within. With storytelling and methodical instruction, a coherent model of the soul is developed and diagrammed. The spiritual journey... Read more
Revelation 3:14-22 Retaining a Passion for Christ SLIDE 1 REVELATION 3:14-22 In nature, if water is hot, it has useful purposes. It can heal, and it can regenerate the body. If it is cold, it is refreshing. It soothes and it can help quench a thirst. But if it lukewarm, water can get stagnant. Stagnant water collects bacteria and serves no purpose. VISUAL – Place a hot cup of coffee and a cold cup of water on a table. Remind... Read more
Hebrews 5:7-10 God’s Perfecting Process Southern Baptist pastor and theologian Herschel Hobbs stated his advice to Godly parents with ornery children: Through the years I have counseled with godly parents whose children did not turn out to be all they and the Lord wanted them to be. Invariably the parents asked, “Where did we fail in rearing our child?” All the while I knew they had done all that parents could do to rear the child in the fear and... Read more
Since I Am Forgiven, I Am Free March 25, 2016 Year C (Good Friday) Hebrews 10:16-25 Good Friday is good because Jesus died on the cross. It is good because His death on the cross paid my sin debt. It is good because paying my sin debt forgives me of my debt to God. Since I have been forgiven, I am free. I am free to do other things. I don’t have to continually spend all of my time... Read more
The Silent Prayer of Jesus The Silent Prayer of Jesus is simple thought reflection during Holy Week. March 23, 2016 Year C (Wednesday of Holy Week) Psalm 70:1-5 According to Scripture, nothing is recorded in the life of Jesus on this day. He probably spent this day with friends in Bethany. How silent was Jesus on this day? Did He spend time remembering days of His earthly ministry? Did He contemplate His upcoming death? We don’t know what Jesus was... Read more
Mission (Not Yet) Accomplished March 21, 2016 Year C (Holy Week) Isaiah 42:1-9 I grew up in the Houston, Texas area near NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Johnson Space Center is known as Mission Control, a place where people work to help astronauts on their missions in space. The time to watch NASA’s Mission Control on television would be when they blasted off and when they landed. In the first part, when they blasted off, there is tremendous anxiety to... Read more
Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe by Erin S. Lane Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe by Erin S. Lane is for people who like the idea of church but feel discouraged by the people who go to church (15). Lane comes from a “progressive-evangelical” perspective of the Presbyterian mainline denomination. Lane reminds the reader about the growing population of religious “nones” which are increasingly made up by Millennials (16). Lane calls people not to go... Read more
Revelation 3:7-13 How to Persevere During Difficult Times When you think of Philadelphia, you may think about many things. For many of you, Philadelphia is the town in Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn in 1682. Philadelphia played an instrumental role in the American Revolution as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787. Philadelphia was one of the nation’s capitals in the Revolutionary War,... Read more
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