“How to make friends and influence people…NOT!” Matt. 22 & 23

Jesus continues to relentlessly provoke the leaders of the Jews, both the Pharisees and Sadducees.
He starts off by telling a parable about a wedding feast.  When the King in the parable says, “those I invited did not deserve to come,” the pharisees knew Jesus was talking about them.  Since the Jewish leaders are not accepting [...]

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“Jesus, gentle and mild?” Matthew 21

Jesus, gentle and mild?
He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
He very deliberately insults and provokes the Jewish leaders…

Not once:  “..have you never read…” (read: Are you so dull?)
Not twice: “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Not three times: “…the kingdom of [...]

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“Weary in Well Doing” Galatians 6

My Mom used to always tell my sister and me that we should not get weary in well doing.  In other words, we shouldn’t give up.  She got that right out of Galatians 6:  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do [...]

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“Faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 4 & 5

What counts before God?  That is a burning question for millions.  It was a burning question in Galatia. 
Some thought one had to observe “special days and months and seasons and years.”  Others thought one had to be circumcised and keep all the Old Testament law.  There were yet others who sought to ingratiate themselves with the spiritual [...]

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“It’s not about the doing, but it’s faith in what has been done” Galatians 2 & 3

…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. [...]

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“One Gospel” Galatians 1

Paul comes on a bit stronger with the Galatians than he does with the Colossians.  After the greeting he plunges right into the problem by saying that he can’t believe how quickly the Galatians are turning to a different gospel, which, it turns out, is no gospel at all.  Then he says, “If anybody is [...]

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“New Moons don’t create New Life” Colossians 2:16-23

Last night in our small group we read and discussed Hosea chapter two.  In this chapter God (the husband) is accusing Israel (the wife) of adultery and unfaithfulness.  Israel has forgotten God and run after other lovers.  So, among other things, God says, “I will stop all her celebrations:  her yearly festivals, her New Moons, [...]

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“Finishing what he started” Jude 1:24-25; Rev. 19:11–20:10

Jesus Christ is able to finish what he started on the cross.
On the cross he freed us from the power of sin and death.  This isn’t the end of the story though. According to Jude 1:24 Jesus is also “able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault [...]

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“Destroyed all Dominion” 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

Last Sunday we emphasized the fact that Jesus triumphed over sin and death (Col. 2:8-14).  Through faith in Christ and identification with him in his death and resurrection, we have “died” to the domination of sin and “resurrected” to the hope of eternal life.  Sin and death are no longer our masters!
This week we’re looking at Christ’s victory over [...]

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“Be ready to give an Answer” 1 Peter 3:8-22

In his book Brothers, We are NOT Professionals, John Piper writes, “The beginning of the twenty-first century is a good time to be a pastor, a time full of uncertainty and danger.”  How can uncertainty and danger describe a good time for anyone?   Working my way through that mystery I ask, if this is true [...]

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