SEARCHING FOR JESUS

Even after all the Christmas celebration there are still some searching for Jesus. Luke 2:39-52

SOMETHING MISSING UNDER THE TREE: The Glory of Christmas

There is something missing from John’s account of the incarnation that I would have expected. John 1:14

WHAT’S THE WORD?: Fleshing Out Christmas

Christmas and the incarnation fleshes out the purposes of God for all to know and see. John 1:1-18

WISHING TO SEE JESUS

The incarnation fulfills every necessary answer to the questions of “what is God like?” John 12:12-26

Wishing Well

1 Kings 3:1-15

CONSEQUENCES OF FORGIVEN SIN

Though we are assured that our sins are forgiven, we discover that there is a vast chasm between the forgiveness of our sins and the consequences of our sin. 2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psalm 32, 51

A VIEW FROM THE ROOFTOP

Many there are who have stood on the precipice of temptation, peering out to what might be. Stand there long enough and the fall is certain. II Samuel 5:13, 11:1-5

THE DEATH OF REVERENCE

If one is not careful, an over-familiarity with God can lead to an irreverence and casualness toward God. II Samuel 6:1-7

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

The inevitable price of love is grief. It is the one piece of mail that all are guaranteed to receive. II Samuel 1-2:1

THE UNEXPECTED GOD

The vision and understanding of God held by most is based upon how their expectations of how God should reign. Thus, they miss out on knowing the true God, who works in unexpected ways. 1 Samuel 27-30

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

As one sits in the sanctuary there is perhaps no more important question than, “Why are you here?” 1 Samuel 21-22

THE WEAVING OF A FRIENDSHIP

If you struggle to define the true meaning of friendship, one need look no further than David and Jonathan. 1 Samuel 18:1-4

You Just Never Know

God seldom utilizes the wise, the strong, the powerful; He normally uses people like you and me. 1 Samuel 15,16,17

Learning to be Content

If contentment means to possess what we want, perhaps our discontent is driven by wanting the wrong things. Philippians 4:10-20

You do the Math: The Equation for Peace

If an equation is a mathematical statement that asserts the equality of two expressions then, for the Apostle Paul, knowledge and action are the two expressions that equal peace with God. Philippians 4:8-9

Standing Firm

When the desire is to sit down and quit trying, the apostle Paul admonishes us to stand firm. Philippians 4:1-7

A Long Look

A right understanding of the life of faith sees beyond the immediacy of the moment to an eager anticipation of the future. Philippians 3:15-21

One Thing

The secret to life isn’t a multi-faceted formula to be figured out. It’s just one thing. Philippians 3:12-14

What's Real/What's Not

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not; between what is true and what is false. Philippians 3:1-11

Mindset: The Attitude of the Christian Life

To maintain an attitude of unity, love, and humility requires a certain mindset. Philippians 2:1-18

Personal Faith and Public Consequences

Though faith is often described as personal the reality is that how it is lived has very public consequences. Philippians 1:27-30

Tension

As Paul considered his future [and remember he was under house arrest with the possibility of imprisonment and even death ahead], he concluded that there were two possibilities. He could live or he could die. Philippians 1:21-26

Celebration of Freedom

Celebration of Freedom. Galations 5:1, 13-14

Circumstances: The Trojan Horse of Our Faith

Just as the circumstance of imprisonment became the Trojan Horse placing Paul in the heart of Rome and the Gentile world, our circumstances can become the vehicle for getting the gospel inside the heart of others as they observe our response. Philippians 1:12-20

The Perfect Prayer for an Imperfect Church

While she is not perfect, and many have a knack for criticizing her, how often do we truly pray for the church? Our association with her? Her role in the world? Philippians 1:1-11

A Faith That Fails Forward

Failure has a debilitating effect on the human psyche. The promise of God, however, is that failure doesn’t have to be fatal but can be a stepping stone to going forward. Joshua 8

I Know What You Did

From Achan we learn that private sin has a ripple effect that impacts the farthest shores of our lives. Joshua 7

Memorial Stones

Memorial stones help us to remember, in the midst of our busy-ness, the faithfulness of God working and acting in the past and for our future. Joshua 4

Moving On

There is a wonderful West Texas expression that parents sometimes share with adult children who are considering moving back home—“We’d love for you to come back, but we’ve already broken your plate.” In translation it means “we love you but it’s time to grow up.” A major step in life is that of moving on. Luke 15:11-32

The Promise of His Coming

The departure of the most significant person in your life has a lasting impact. The promise of their return gives you hope. 2 Peter 3

A Missional Faith In Babylon

As a follower of Christ, do you ever feel that you are an exile in a strange and hostile land? How does one’s faith not only survive but flourish in such a context? The life and experience of Daniel reveals the way. Daniel 1

Don't Let It Happen To You

Heresy and Truth both have their appeal. One, however, leads to life while the other leads to death and a state for worse than if one had never known the truth.2 Peter 2

Preaching In Babel

The apostle, Peter, indicates that there are two important parts in the preaching and teaching of scripture—reminding and remembering.2 Peter 1:12-21

Practicing Virtue

Having established a basis for Christian living, Peter offers a portrait of how that life ought to look and where it will end up. 2 Peter 1:3-11

Will You Love Me After Easter?

It is a haunting question—“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” What was asked of Peter 2000 years ago is still the most defining question that could be asked of us today.John 21:15-19

Church Through the Eyes of Jesus

Matthew 21:1-17

A Faith Like Ours

While Peter certainly is not the erudite, doctrinaire theologian as is the apostle Paul, he, nonetheless, understands that a wholesome and sound faith deserves and requires a sound theological and historical foundation. 2 Peter 1:1-3

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat
John 6

A Pilgrim's Journey: Our Pain/His Dominion

The life of faith is curious blend of trusting in God the resolute action of our lives based upon that trust. 1 Peter 5:6-11

A Pilgrim's Journey: Leadership By Followership

It’s in the context of constant persecution and pressure that one comes to understand the adage that people will stay in the foxhole for only so long. External pressure brings internal conflict and leadership becomes the focus of this pressure.1 Peter 5:1-5

A Pilgrim's Journey: The Syllabus Of Faith

A course syllabus informs the student what the expectations will be over the course of the semester. The selected text serves as an effective syllabus for the life of faith.1 Peter 4:12-19

A Pilgrim's Journey: Are You Ready?

Are you ready? It’s a common question, asked before some event such as a test, a recital, an athletic event, the first day of a new job. It’s a question of preparation. Because the end is near the question must be asked, “Are You Ready?”
1 Peter 4: 7-11

A Pilgrim's Journey: Forewarned Is Forearmed

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. This popular idiom reminds us that to know in advance the dangers that lie ahead provides the advantage of making adequate preparation.

1 Peter 4: 1-6

A Pilgrim's Journey: Angels, Authorities, and Powers

Despite the scientific materialism of the age there is a growing interest in the supernatural. It was within that context that Christ entered the first century world and the power of God was revealed.1 Peter 3:18-22

A Pilgrim's Journey: Great Expectations

Just as Pip, the protagonist in Dickens’ classic work, had great expectations of coming into his benefactor’s property, most believers enter into the life of faith with great expectations of what life will become. Seldom does it play out as we imagined it.1 Peter 3: 13-17

A Pilgrim's Journey: The Sum Of All

It’s easy to pick and choose expectations of Christian life that best fit our personality, to the rejection of others. The expectations of God, however, apply to all of us and not just some of us. 1 Peter 3: 8-12

A Pilgrim's Journey: Family Matters: Say Yes to the Marriage

The average wedding in the U.S. costs $20,398. Months of preparation go in to planning the perfect wedding with little thought for the marriage that follows.1 Peter 3: 1-7

A Pilgrim's Journey: This Is Why

Unjust suffering among the people of God is one of the most difficult issues to reconcile in the mind of believers. Remembering who we are can help to put such things in proper perspective. 1 Peter 2:21-25