The local church has designated today a “Bonus Sunday.” The schedule is altered with a fellowship meal at noon, an early afternoon period of worship, and a congregational meeting to follow, after which the scheduled church activities for the day will be concluded. In addition to the altered schedule, the congregation is encouraged to give …
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Talking about death–does my speech betray me?
Most have heard the phrase, “Your speech betrays you.” The phrase seems to have roots in the biblical account of Peter’s denial of Jesus since he was identified in part by his speech (Matthew 26:73). You probably know some of the contemporary applications: Christians who curse, people who say one thing and do another…. You …
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Today will be another day of blessings from God
On some days the blessings are more obvious than on others. Some days are wonderful and positive and we have easily see that we are having a “blessed day.” On other days the blessings are almost invisible. Sometimes this occurs when we do not have time or take time to notice. But sometimes the difficulties …
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Amazed by God
Mark’s gospel includes amazing stories. The text notes again and again that the people were amazed at the words and works of Jesus. I ask myself, Am I amazed? Am I amazed at the words of God, the recorded events of Scripture, events that amazed those who saw and heard Jesus in the first century? …
It’s Sunday Again: Eat the Word, Drink the Covenant
Jesus took break, broke it, and gave it to his disciples: “This is my body.” The contemporary church has at times struggled with that concept. We have felt compelled to explain that the bread was not his literal body, or to explain how and when the statement is true. In the history of the church, we can study …
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Part of the Family
Two weeks of travels and interactions with God’s family in various places has reminded me of how special it is to be “part of the family.” We have worshiped and prayed with brothers and sisters from about 20 states. We have experienced worship in different styles–we have listened to capable expositors of God’s word that …
A Brief Break and a Prayer Request
Today is the last day of the retreat–I will be “back in the saddle” tomorrow, and my blogging will return to a more regular schedule. This week has been a spiritual high point–great classes, teaching, worship, and the A Capella concert last night was fantastic. What a spiritual feast! Above all, the opportunity to renew …
It’s Sunday Again: With the Family
An interesting phenomenon in recent years is the tendency of Christians to assemble only with their local church family when they are at home and to avoid assembling when traveling, on vacation, etc. At best, some will spend a few private devotional moments in lieu of gathering for worship with the family. Jan and I …
This Is My Father’s World
I am constantly amazed by the beauty of God’s creation….colors, variety, adaptation. We experience extreme heat, we enjoy cool mornings. Nature protects itself when conditions are not favorable and restores itself at the right times. My grass is brown in the winter–now it is brown in the summer. Our title today is also the title …
Love
We talk a lot about love but struggle with its practice. We do not understand the foundations of love–why we love with God’s agape love. We mistake the love described in the Bible for the human experiences of love in this world. They are not the same. They have different motives and foundations. God’s love …