By grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone
The “dummy light” comes on every 3,000 miles in our car. Time for another oil change. I appreciate the reminder but do not like it when the red oil can flashes red on my dashboard. But I better pay attention to it. After addressed, I enjoy hitting the reset button that makes it go away […]
In years past political parties used to speak of their “platform,” a formal collection of their positions and aspirations. “Planks” made up their platform, statements and positions on individual issues such as tax rates, domestic goals, foreign policy, and so forth. In years gone by, civil debate and discussion took place between politicians and constituents […]
G.K. Chesterton, a large man with an even larger wit, had the rare gift of saying much with little. His few words on a matter were often poignant, sharp, and provocative. He did not need a paragraph. He just needed a sentence. One hundred years ago he advised his contemporaries, “Do not be so open-minded […]
The “Vax Net” is getting larger. Healthcare providers, government employees and contractors, soldiers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, airline employees, teachers, coaches, and more are on the growing list. More will be added. I promise. I have seen this movie before. Hubris knows no bounds. O, and about coaches, the net has caught me. If you […]
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 […]
Jonah is a Sunday School favorite. How can he not? The hesitant prophet. Swallowed by a great fish. Thrown up on the shore. Preaches to Ninevites. A great repentance ensues. Despite having an attitude when the wicked city repents, Jonah is celebrated. Lots of kids are named after him. But what about Nahum? “Na-who,” you […]
The church cannot fight a culture war without a culture. We must have something “in here” for us to successfully engage “out there.” What is it we must have? First and foremost is a robust, weighty, and substantive Sunday morning worship. O, and it needs to be joyful, too. This is where the knot is […]
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 […]
“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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
Charles had become good at crawling in the shadows. He had been doing so for some time. When you are behind enemy lines, you keep your head down and you stay low. It was unclear how he got there. But the landscape did not lie. He was in enemy territory. The thought of getting caught […]