The Valley of Hinnom
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Those are the words of wise ol’ King Solomon. I guess every generation wants to think their generation is special. Their generation is smarter. They’ll fix the world’s problems. […]
A Long Obedience
“Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev…. He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.” (Genesis 13:1, 3–4) Eugene Peterson famously […]
The Benefits of Place
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” (Galatians 5:22–23) That is one of the great Bible passages some of us learned at Sunday School – often set to music. Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit in […]
Material World
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) You might be asking: “What’s the big deal about place? Why spend weeks discussing it?” After all, one of the things we know about […]
Stability of Place
“The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) In essence, God told Abraham, “Leave this place because I have another place for you.” The idea of place has been important throughout biblical and church history. 1,500 years ago, […]
The Journey Begins
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked… But his delight in in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. […]
The Power of Place
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:3) We live in an increasingly mobile society. With the advances in technology and the increase in our fellow Americans working from home, it’s easier than ever to […]
Immanuel
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Isaiah gave this prophecy seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Immanuel. The description of the coming Messiah was to be “God with us.” The impetus for this sermons […]
A Child is Born
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) God’s promise is spoken of in terms of a birth. This was a way in which God had chosen, in Israel’s past, to show his dramatic intervention in human history…three pivotal points […]
The River of Life
Our nation is trying to recover from the trauma of the worldwide COVID 19 pandemic. We’ve made some progress, but I don’t think we’ve paid the psychological bill that is due. As a nation, our collective desire coming out of this thing is that we just want life to be “good again.” If we could […]
Mountains
You’d be hard-pressed to find a scene more stunning than the sun setting over the Rocky Mountains. I spent a lot of time in Colorado this summer and the view never got old. Those mountains are captivating. My son and I intended to take on the challenge of climbing a “14er” (a mountain over 14,000 […]
Quiet Waters
Are you busy? Of course you are! There’s a good chance you debated whether or not you had enough time to read this missive. Being busy is a normal part of the world we live in. Jesus was busy: “He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a […]
