Posts from 2023 (Page 3)

One of my favorite old hymns that we sing is “Blessed Assurance,” by Fanny J. Crosby. Crosby speaks of the confidence we have in Jesus. When we are born of water and the spirit, washed in the blood of Christ, we become heirs of God. We have a foretaste of eternity. This is our story. And it is certain! It is assured! Yet, so many of us lack certainty in our salvation. We have talked about this before, but particularly…

In the text in James covered in last week’s sermon, he presented the example of Elijah for consideration when it comes to prayer. He makes the point that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours—he was just like us, in other words—and look at all the great things he accomplished through prayer! That might come as a bit of a shock: Elijah? Like us? But he’s one of the greatest heroes of the OT! What in the world…

On this Father’s Day, I would like for us to consider the fact that God has revealed himself to us as Father. That is how Jesus taught us to address God; the Aramaic term is abba. This is not “daddy,” as is often said; it is the only word for father in Aramaic. But that does indicate an intimate relationship that God wishes to have with his children—and that model, of God as our Father, then presents a great challenge…

Last week, people all over the Western world commemorated the 79th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Just after dawn on June 6th, 1944, nearly 160,000 Allied troops, including about 73,000 Americans, began landing on five code-named beaches on the coast of Normandy. The operation also included parachute landings at strategic sites. A total of 4,414 Allied troops, 2,501 of them from the United States were killed that day; in the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 total Allied troops were killed,…

Vacation Bible School is coming up on the last Saturday of this month. I was thinking about and recalled the theme of VBS one year when I was a child: “sharing is caring.” In our Bible classes, we are interested in telling children the stories of the Bible. We want them to learn and remember certain passages of Scripture. But we are primarily concerned with teaching them certain basic attitudes and habits of living. One of those is the practice…

Inspired by the practical wisdom found in James, we have written about some of our common everyday problems for about three months now. Let’s draw some of the threads together from those previous articles to tie a bow around this series: what are some basic, general principles to help guide us in life? In John 10:10, Jesus states part of his purpose in coming: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Everyone is looking for that…

Inspired by the practical wisdom found in James, we have written about some of our common everyday problems for about three months now. Let’s draw some of the threads together from those previous articles to tie a bow around this series: what are some basic, general principles to help guide us in life? In John 10:10, Jesus states part of his purpose in coming: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Everyone is looking for that…

For several weeks now, we have talked in this space about the daily problems we face. As we draw this series to a close, let’s discuss something we all contend with regularly: fear. In the face of fear, God says fear not. Did you know that God says that more than anything else in all the Bible? When Abram had come to the Promised Land at God’s direction and prospered greatly, but had had no child, we find God saying…

As we continue considering everyday problems we struggle with in this space, let’s think together about envy. A person can be a good, faithful Christian by all outward appearances—they can attend church services on a regular basis, they can live a morally upright life—and yet harbor envy in their hearts and stand condemned. And envy is common; we have all probably had some experience with the green-eyed monster from time to time. But I have yet to hear anyone publicly…

Those of you who are in our small groups program will recall that we studied judging others this past week. That is a good topic to discuss in this space, too, as we consider the daily problems we struggle with. Jesus famously warns, Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matt 7:1-2). And James tells us, Do not…

We have been writing for several weeks now about grappling with practical, everyday problems, inspired by our sermon series in James. Let’s discuss ingratitude, something that I suspect most of us struggle with at times. Yet, we are actually commanded to be grateful. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:18). For Christians, to be ungrateful is to be disobedient to God’s will. We are also taught by…

In our sermon this week, we will see James turn to the theme of speaking wisely. He mentions it earlier in the letter with these well-known words: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19). It reminds us that much of the problem with controlling our tongues is speaking rashly, often out of frustration. In short, we struggle with impatience. How many of us can sympathize with that…