She was just twelve weeks old when we brought her home fourteen years ago. She and her brother, Bentley, had been a litter of two bred specifically by my brother-in-law in hopes to provide us with a "doll face, teacup Yorkie." She was the best! As a puppy she would sit at my feet and...
James 1:27 (ESV) Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Picture a man in a pure white suit replete with cumberbund, top hat, tails, and an alabaster walking cane with a golden parrot head knob....
One of the most disturbing trends on social media these days are the barbs Christians (especially pastors) throw at one another regarding politicians, politics, and politcal practice. Social angst flows at an all time high. Warnings of one kind or another over the potential upheaval that must certainly be the outcome of any given political...
One of the current features of AI being offered as pastoral/discipleship tools is the opportunity to turn single sermons or teaching session into multiuse applications, like study guides or devotionals. Last night's Back to Basics study focused on church membership as the context in which to practice Jesus' command to "Love one another." Here are...
It happens all the time. I have just a few minutes before the demands of life greedily appropriate my attention. I sit down and open my Bible to read. This is not a moment for particulars. I'll take anything. I just want to hear His voice before my focus is seized by the effort to...
The word of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah often helps me understand my calling as pastor in my own day and time. There is something about the rawness of Jeremiah's experiences, the scope of the opposition, the depth of God's intent that help me stay grounded in faith and obedience when the flame of...
The opening pages of R.C. Sproul's 2019 commentary on the book of Romans reminds us of a necessary correlation we should take into account when we think about our spiritual identity as doulos (slave.) Slaves, by definition, belong to someone, and frankly, it matters in this discussion who we belong to! Paul declares in Romans...
We are answering a practical, spiritual question. Since we are slaves of Christ Jesus, called, and set apart as a matter of faith in Christ, how do we connect personally with this reality that is now ours as believers and followers of Jesus? We've been examining Paul's introduction of himself to the church at Rome...
The apostle Paul identifies himself, and by extension all true Christians, as doulos, a slave of Christ Jesus. He also notes that we are kletos, called, and aphoridzo, set apart. We are asking how to connect authentically, appropriately, spiritually, emotionally, and faithfully with this identity we have on account of genuine saving faith in Jesus...
We're getting a bit practical here, I hope. It is one thing to read and agree theologically that through faith in Christ we become slaves (douloi) of Christ Jesus, just as Paul identifies himself in Romans 1:1. But how do we come to experience that relationship with Christ in the way we are intended to...
