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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Position Filled
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:13, CSB) I saw this job opening on monster.com: Position: Executive Assistant Necessary Requirements: Candidates must have an advanced degree in counseling and will be required to live on site. […]
Our Partner
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (John 14:16; 18) One of the possible translations of the Greek word paraclete (translated “counselor” above) is “partner.” A partnership is the idea that two or […]
Paraclete
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…you know him, for he lives withy you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) Jesus just told the disciples that he would be “leaving them” soon, and they were understandably upset. In his comfort to them, he […]
With the Transgressors
“It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”” (Luke 22:37) Jesus made this strange comment to his disciples at the Last Supper (Thursday night of Holy Week). What a crazy turn of […]
God Chaser
Years ago, there was a popular book called The God Chasers. I remember one of my more theologically conservative friends asking me if God was running from us and that’s why we were chasing him. Besides just being an unfunny jerk, he missed a very important point the Bible wants us to grasp. Yes, of […]
Gone Fishing
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, `Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’” (John 21:15) A little background might help here. The resurrected Lord told the disciples to go from Jerusalem to Galilee and wait for him at a certain mountain. Somewhere along the way, Peter […]
Our High Priest
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Frederick Booth Tucker was a Salvation Army Officer in the late 19th century. One of his sermons in Chicago […]
The Name above Every Name
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11) […]
