Gospel
What Do These Stones Mean?
I attended the funeral of a dear sister in Christ this past Saturday. Such gatherings are a mixed bag of emotion for believers. We grieved the loss, yet celebrated her victory. It is particularly difficult for her husband, also a dear friend. He has suffered an astounding loss, yet celebrates her being in the presence…
Read MoreWhosoever Will
Toward the end of the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, we find this invitation. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost.– Revelation 22:17,…
Read MoreExcept for these Chains
“Shelter in place.” “Stay at home.” “Essential trips and services.” These are the familiar messages that bombard our radios, televisions, internet streams. The public reactions are varied, as state upon state issues such executive orders and Subject Matter Expert advisories. Many had previously volunteered to self-quarantine, recognizing the necessity of doing so, while others marched…
Read MoreStark Contrast Gospel in a Single Verse
Sometimes the simplest passage or single verse of scripture can be profound in its impact, packing a punch that is easy to read past. Occasionally I find myself reading through a chapter, or an entire book and though I would never verbalize it, in my mind I subconsciously say, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve read this before.…
Read MoreWhy I am NOT Ashamed of the Gospel
In its day, Rome was a proud city and empire, home of the elite, the statesmen, philosophers, artisans. The Roman empire had no great love for the Jews, and little respect for their “capital” city, Jerusalem. To the Roman, a Jew was a commoner at best, and a slave at worst. From this nation of…
Read MoreChristianese Phrases to Drop, #2
Some time ago, I proposed that those of us in the community of Christ need to lose the absurd phrase, “God showed up.” This week, I want to look at another “Christianese” phrase that needs to die a quick death – the phrase, “I led [insert name here] to the Lord.” This phrase is almost…
Read MoreReexamining the Necessity of Culture Adoption (Part 2)
The Concern Last week we began a discussion of the church’s tendency to conform to culture rather than to conform to Christ, and to do so in the belief that the inherently offensive nature of the cross and the call to discipleship may be off-putting to those who need to hear the gospel message. In…
Read MoreReexamining the Necessity of Culture Adoption (Part 1)
I have attended and worked with enormous churches, and also with very small ones. I have worked with churches that delivered impressively polished, theater-worthy presentations, where event timing was measured in the seconds, all of it driven by headset-adorned technicians working feverishly behind the scenes to keep the flow of the service as smooth and…
Read MoreFive Attributes of God’s Story We Should Understand
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, ESV The word “gospel” is an English tweak of an…
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