The Great Reverser
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:14) Don’t you believe in resurrection? Not just at Easter, but everyday resurrection? Resurrection in your marriage, in your relationships with your kids, at work, in your finances, in […]
Please Hold
“But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness.” (Gen. 40:14) After Joseph interpreted the cupbearer’s dream and gave him the good news, he had only one request. Remember me. Help me. In my version, Joseph asks the cupbearer for kindness. That word is a very important biblical word…the Hebrew is […]
From Bad to Worse
“Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.” (Genesis 39:11–12) Potiphar’s wife commands Joseph to sleep with her the way […]
When Dreams Become Nightmares
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. (Genesis 37:18–19) Martin Luther King once said prophetically, “You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.” I’m not sure I buy that 100%. Life’s full of […]
Brotherly Love?
“When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Genesis 37:4) As you know, Philadelphia is “the City of Brotherly Love.” As of July 20 of this year, 1,289 people had been shot in Philadelphia so far, which […]
God is Dead
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there […]
Fear Not x 365
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear….” (1 John 4:18) If you grew up in the ‘80s, you remember the TV show America’s Most Wanted. John Walsh, the host and creator, started the show after his son, Adam, was murdered. Each week the show depicted a child abduction or murder. […]
Perfect Peace in a Perfect Storm
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Have you ever heard of a perfect storm? That’s when multiple weather elements combine, like hurricane force winds, plus a cold front, plus a downpour of rain. It creates disaster. We’ve been talking about worry, […]
The Power of Prayer
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) The Stoic says: Know thyself The Hedonist says: Indulge thyself The Buddhist says: Lose thyself The Muslim says: Submit thyself The Humanist says: Improve thyself The Modern man says: Be thyself But the Christian embraces […]
Keep Your Cool
“Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything…” (Philippians 4:5–6, CSB) Last week, Paul gave us a counter-intuitive command: Rejoice in the Lord always. Even in difficult situations, we can rejoice because God is in control, and His character is love. Now the Apostle gives us another interesting […]
The Power of Praise
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Two ladies went into a graveyard to place some flowers and walked around for a bit. Eventually, they came to a tombstone that read: “Here lies a politician and an honest man.” One lady turned to the other and said, “Too bad […]
Worried Sick
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) This Sunday we will begin a series of sermons on the true pandemic we face in […]
