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Three Christ-Like Attitudes In Caleb
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In Israel's heyday, to call someone 'dog' was an insult, not a stage name in the rap game. Some say the name ‘Caleb’ meant ‘dog.’ Well, not anymore. The Caleb of Israel changed all that.
Read moreSunday Sermon: Gospel Rescue—Galatians 5:19-21
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The Kingdom, pt. 1: Jesus Must Be First
(Mark 10:17-22)
Our story begins with a man desperate for Jesus. The other gospels tell us he was a young local ruler (Matthew 19:20, Luke 18:18). Even though he had wealth and power, he felt something was missing. And he suspected Jesus had the answers. He was desperate for help, so he ran and knelt before the Lord (17). "Good teacher," he asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (17).
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Pause To Set Down Your Ebenezer Stone (1 Samuel 7:12)
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I went through the typical motions while filling out the form. First name. Last name. Address. Our family was about to head down the Truckee River, and I was tasked with renting the rafts. Phone number. Email. Age. Age? For the first time I wrote, “40.” I smiled and thanked God. So far, so good.
Read moreSunday Sermon: Gospel Rescue—Galatians 5:19-21
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Kingdom Kids, pt.3: We Should Know The Kingdom Is Received With Childlike Faith
(Mark 10:15-16)
I've read and heard many (contradictory) interpretations of what Jesus meant. Scholars and pastors run wild with the child analogy Jesus used. I understand. Talking up children's innocence, spontaneity, eagerness, or joy is tempting. And children are incredible—gifts from God—but Jesus wasn't praising a virtue he saw in children. As someone once said, "There are two types of people in the world. Those who think mankind is essentially good at the core, and those who have a toddler."
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How Do We Share In Christ’s Sufferings?
(1 Peter 4:13)
Peter's premise is straightforward: the more you connect with the sufferings of Christ today, the more you will celebrate his coming tomorrow. If you partake of and share in Christ's sufferings in this life, you will have a stronger appreciation for his glory in the next one. You will be on the edge of your seat for Christ's return. You will long for the kingdom.
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My Sermon Preparation Process (For Bible Teachers)
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No one would dare write an organized checklist of steps a woman must execute when giving birth. You can't guarantee a woman how long she will be in active labor. Themes repeat (e.g. "it hurts"), but no two labor stories are identical.
Read moreSomething has drastically changed about us, so we must consider ourselves to be radically connected to Christ's death and resurrection, making us dead to sin and alive to God (11). This consideration process makes the historical fact of the resurrection beautiful for life today. We must pause to consider who we are. What happened to Jesus changed us. The gospel has changed us. The true you is dead to sin and alive to God because Jesus Christ died and rose again.
When Jesus rose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene in the garden outside the tomb. He told her to tell the other disciples that he was going to ascend to his Father and their Father, to his God and their God (John 20:17). It is his death and resurrection that secured God as theirs, making him their Father in heaven. And it is Jesus' death and resurrection that secure us that same position with God, that transfers us from the realm of sin to the realm of God. Every one of us here today—if we've trusted Christ—has been moved by the resurrection power of God into his realm.
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Kingdom Kids, pt.2: We Should Remember Childlike People Have The Kingdom
(Mark 10:14)
What does this mean? We must recall how the disciples felt about Jesus, the kingdom, and these children to answer this question. They thought he was the Messiah, meaning they thought he would pick up King David's reign and make Israel a super-nation. They thought the kingdom was Israel only, meaning they were hoping for an immediate and external reign of Christ. And they thought these children were small and insignificant—merely kids in need of others to care for them—not worthy of the glory of the kingdom.
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