By grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone
On April 25, 2020, six weeks into ceasing Sunday morning worship at the directive of our governor, I preached a sermon entitled, “Who Says We Can’t Meet During the Virus?” It was an exposition of Romans 13:1-7. In it we spoke of “sphere sovereignty,” the teaching from Scripture that God has ordained three major “governments”—the […]
People will call this a political blog. I will deny that if they do. If you need a category, let’s call it theological. It is a cry for Christians to think. It is an appeal for followers of Jesus to reason biblically. It is a plea for the redeemed to consider the weight of God’s […]
Did you read The Wind in the Willows to your kids? Or do you remember it from your youth? As I recall, Lynn read it to our children in the car while on longer trips. I would catch parts of it here and there. The story concerns the friendship of four animals who live on the […]
“We believe that God has ordained various governments among men,” says our Statement of Faith. “The three basic governments are civil government, church government, and family government. All…working in individuals to bring about self-government.” If asked to summarize each of their responsibilities, how would you respond? C.S. Lewis answered this way regarding the civil government. […]
Let me provide some visuals. The latest Apple phone has just come out. Lines are out the door and around the block, hundreds of would-be customers hoping to get to the front before the last one is sold. The Seahawks are in the play-offs. Season ticket holders have gobbled up most of the seats but […]
The dinner table never had been so full, chairs wrapped all the way around. Hungry mouths gathered to be filled. The laundry room was busier than ever. Would the old washer be able to keep up? And then there was the bathroom. It always seemed to be in use. The winy question from the hall, […]
In Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters”, the old and experienced demon Screwtape is mentoring his novice nephew, the demon Wormwood, on how to best secure the damnation of the young man assigned him by Satan. In one of his letters to his prodigy, Uncle Screwtape writes, “One of our great allies at present is the Church […]
Some cringe at the thought of opening up their home. Visions of cleaning up the strewed messes, making sure the toilet bowl sparkles, and fearing guests will see the couch stain has barred visitors from crossing your threshold for years. Plus, you do not have an open-concept home and there is no shiplap anywhere. How […]
There was a time in our past where the ascetics headed for the desert and the monks hid behind high walls. Removing oneself from society was thought the way to keep oneself pure. But like our shadow, we take our sin with us wherever we go. For two-plus centuries the church has had a good […]
We breathe culture. We do because society’s norms are all around us. Culture codifies acceptable conduct. And therein lies the problem. Culture is dictated by what man thinks. Therefore, we must be careful. The question becomes, “Are we breathing in man’s wisdom and norms, shaping how we act and think, which often runs counter to […]
Church Family, This past week, Governor Inslee instituted new rules, regulations, and dictates regarding COVID-19. In doing so, his long arm from Olympia has once again overextended into the life of the church. He reiterated that sanctuaries are to be limited to 25% capacity (that is not new). What is new, however, is that he […]
The doors of the church remain wide open, the free offer of the Gospel proclaimed to all, but culture’s continued free-fall required us to clarify our Statement of Faith and amend our Bylaws. Hesitant to name specific sins given we are all sinners who have our own particular proclivities and sins to wrestle; we still […]