Blog (Page 15)
Darling of Heaven Crucified
By the time our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, the Romans had already been putting people on the cross for a while. But the Romans were hardly the first ones to use crucifixion to punish the hardest criminals. Studies show there were crucifixions dating back to as early as 500 B.C. when King Darius I of Persia crucified 3,000 of his enemies in Babylon. Some may have been even earlier. Even though the Romans did not come up with the…
Remember
This fall I have walked us, Sunday by Sunday, through the major theological and doctrinal truths of scripture that point us toward the story of Jesus. This Sunday, November 1, we will focus in on one of the most significant and historically memorable events in the Old Testament out of the book of Exodus: the Passover. Why the Passover story in a series called, “The Book of Jesus”? Because you cannot fully grasp the central truth of Jesus Christ until…
Surrender is Not About Surrender
His queen is bearing down on my defenseless king. I know it. He knows it. It’s my turn and I have no meaningful options, except to delay the inevitable. So what will I do? Offer a draw? Resign? Never. I logout. I don’t like the word, “surrender,” and I don’t think many of you do, too. The word gives off a message of admitting defeat. After all, isn’t it a battle term? When we sense an imminent defeat, and we…
Repairing What’s Broken: How to be a Relationship Mechanic
You know that sinking feeling you have when you’re driving, and your car starts making a funny sound? That sound signals something broken that’s now going to cost money and time to fix. But you take the car to the shop because the car is valuable to you. You need it to be repaired, so you pay the money. You take the time. That same sinking feeling when you are in conflict with someone you care about signals that something…
Sacrifice
We throw this word—sacrifice—around a good bit in our conversations. I think we use it most often far too casually. We say we will “sacrifice our time” when it comes to volunteering for a project. We might say “we sacrifice our money” when we give to an organization. We might say we “sacrifice our career” when we make certain choices for family matters. Sometimes this term is used when we feel like we are victims of something. Sometimes it is…
Pursuing Justice
Justice. The term “justice” often invokes scenes from a courtroom. Judges in black robes, and prosecutors in suits ensuring criminals are “brought to justice.” Victims seeking justice. A fair and impartial jury, determining the guilt or innocence of the accused. And of course, the guilty taken away, bound, and imprisoned to serve a just sentence. Even in non-criminal cases, we often think of justice as making the wrongdoer pay their fair share. But justice is much more than a system…
Covenant: Understanding God’s Covenant to Mankind
Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Sunday morning’s message is found in Genesis 12:1-3. This is the…
Fear of the End of Life
Is it strange to you if I were to tell you I openly talk to my family about my own death?—actually, quite regularly. They don’t seem to appreciate it, and I wonder why. Seriously, if someday my doctor were to say to me I could no longer eat as much of my favorite foods as I would like to eat, and if God says okay, I would say to myself it is time for me to go! Are you someone…
Serving a Cup of Cold Water in His Name
Where do I begin this journey of serving in disaster relief? Thinking back, God has been definitely leading me in that direction. Before my family and I came up to the PNW, we attended a church in California. One week, we had a celebration for missions outreach. At the end of the week during the church prayer, the pastor made a calling that whoever felt led then and in the future to pursue missions outreach should raise their hand. Yes,…
The Shattering of Our Nobility
There is nobility in being human. That’s what we studied this past weekend. That’s also what we feel deep down inside. Well, if that’s true, then what happened? Why does it all feel so dysfunctional, chaotic, and even deeply wrong? Because we have “shattered the image” that we were created to be. Homework Here is your homework assignment as we prepare for this weekend. Read ahead As you prepare for this coming Sunday morning, read these passages: Genesis 3 &…
Discipline in the Church
Today, I am going to talk about something no one likes to talk about: Discipline. No one likes to receive discipline or to give discipline. We don’t even like to talk about it. What’s even worse than discipline is church discipline. It is very sensitive, and demands wisdom and prayer. But it is also very necessary because God takes sin seriously. Matthew 18 lays out the steps as good as anywhere in the Bible, how to discipline an individual within…
The Nobility of Being a Human
Memory Verse for the week of October 4: So God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Genesis 1:27 (NIV) I love the creation story. I find myself pausing often to marvel at the creation in its glory at all seasons of the year. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have the advantage of seeing the grandeur of the creative artwork of God when Mt. Rainier pops above…
Testimony: How scripture can change us
Spiritual disciplines are an extremely important part of the life of any believer. It is the time spent on the part of the believer deepening and growing their faith and their understanding of who Jesus is and who they are as individuals. Spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, meditation, quiet time, prayer, journaling, and fellowship with other believers all aid in the sanctification of believers. It is no different for children, youth, or adults alike. One of the students in LifeWay…
Why “Christian”?
Christ is the invisible image of the invisible God.Colossians 1:15 Have you ever given deeper thought to what it means to be called a Christian? The title of “Christianity” was not something that the early disciples and apostles came up with for themselves. In fact, they often referred to themselves as “followers of the Way.” The designation of being a “Christian” actually came from outsiders who where trying to describe this unique group of people who put Christ at their…
What You And I Can Say About the Bad Things That Happen to Us
Last week marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation. Even though the memorial services were smaller in scale and more intimate compared to those of recent years because of the pandemic, they were still the same solemn ceremonies that mark one of the truly darkest days in our nation’s history. For me, 9/11 was the saddest 24 hours I have ever spent in my life, period. Perhaps it is the same for you, too. In…
Lessons From Job
I have to admit, I have avoided the book of Job most of my life. I read it in its entirety once in my twenties, so that I could check off the box and say that I had actually read the whole Bible. Job is not a book that you hear about much in sermons, and I don’t remember helping kids memorize any verses from Job in Sunday School or at AWANA. It was easy enough to avoid. Then a…
Suffering Outside of the Limelight
For what seems forever, television has made suffering seem stylish by recruiting people from all walks of life to endure danger and deprivation in seemingly real trials, pitting them against the elements or other contestants who are out to get them. The payoff scene at the end of the program celebrates lots of high-fives and expressions of relief as contestants board helicopters or Land Rovers to return to normal life and their often-healthier bank accounts. This kind of made-for-TV suffering…
What Season Is It?
What season is it? Football season? Time to put on our Seahawks gear and cheer? Well…maybe…unless someone comes down with a virus, or the air is too toxic to play and the game is canceled. Apple harvest season? Well…maybe…unless a forest fire in Eastern Washington rages through the apple orchard. School season? Well…maybe…unless the schools don’t meet in person, or there’s a power outage on what’s supposed to be the first day of school (as it did in Federal Way…
Obeying God
Even as a child I had an analytical bent. Ever since the fundamental concepts of logic formed in my mind, the presentation of a rule by my parents necessitated a thorough examination: When did the rule commence and when would it expire? Did it apply to my brother as well as me (since, of course, it was my self-appointed duty to keep him in line!) How would it be applied in various circumstances? (list all that come to mind) Were…
Why Obey?
Is there anyone here who likes to obey? Anyone? Our family takes turns doing the dishes in our home. One day last week, my daughter told me, “Dad, it’s your turn to wash the dishes.” I finished some more things for work, turned off the lights, went upstairs, and got into bed. If you are like me, you don’t like to obey. Most people don’t like to obey. I consider myself a pretty obedient person for the most part, and…
The Most Famous Parable
Since July 5th, we have been studying week by week through some of the parables of Jesus. Using a parable was the favorite way that Jesus taught lessons. These were not just “moral lessons of life,” but instead were views into what the Kingdom of God was like. I have asked you each week to make sure you know how to read all the parables for yourself in your personal study: What is the familiar and recognizable truth that became…
Growing in Maturity in Relationships
Do you know how many times the word “discipleship” appears in our English Bible? If you guessed zero times, you are correct! While the word “disciple” appears over 250 times, there is no “discipleship,” not one. If you searched for the word “discipleship” in the entire Bible, you would not be successful. But more importantly, what does the word “discipleship” even mean? In the Christian world, everyone uses it, but what are we trying to say? And what does a…
Your Life is a Garden
This Sunday, September 6, we are studying together the powerful and highly realistic parable of the sowing of seeds in a garden. As you prepare for this study: Read the parable: Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23. The same parable is found in Mark 4:1-9 and Luke 8:4-15. Read these as well. Think through the exaggerated truths that become obvious as you read. Think through spiritual truths and how they apply to your personal life. Then, read these passages that will bring…
Grace: A Back-to-School Survival Guide
I love back-to-school season. When I’ve planned my summer right, we achieve the perfect mix of scheduled stuff—camps, swimming lessons, sleepovers—with unstructured days to sleep in, lay around, be creative and/or watch too much TV. Warm weather, long days, fewer demands—it’s all pretty wonderful. But even after the best of summers, I’m still a little bit like this guy (best commercial ever). I like new school clothes. And I love new school supplies. It’s fun to meet new teachers and…
Beyond Nice
“Be nice to each other on the playground!” That’s a phrase that comes straight out of our school days. When I would go outside to play with my friends, my mom would frequently voice that comment to me as I headed out the door: “Don’t forget to be nice to each other!” The rules and the boundaries of my behavior were laid out for me at an early age. Why did my mother give me this instruction? Because she knew…