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 […]
God’s Presence
Last time you heard me preach, we were talking about the wilderness. When paradise was no longer an option for Adam and Eve, the wilderness is where they found themselves. But more than just a desolate physical place, the first couple had been removed from God’s presence. But not forever. Because of God’s mercy and […]
Unveiled Faces
“And we, who with unveiled faces, all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) I’m sure you are familiar with the most popular game in the world. It is as old as the human race and is […]
Divine Glue
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:15–16) There is an inevitability to […]
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 […]
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 […]
On Behalf of the Choir
“…for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” (Philippians 1:19) What is the secret to sustaining one’s spiritual strength in order to keep on keepin’ on when things get tough? The Apostle Paul describes it […]
Be Happy or Else
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up […]
The Great Miracle
“Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity…” (Philippians 2:7, CSB) Paul is describing the incarnation of Jesus. Incarnation literally means “en-fleshment.” John says “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14, NIV) C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite thinkers, describes the […]
