The angel declared “great joy” for everyone. If we read through the Old Testament, and especially the Psalms, we find a repeated call to sing and especially “shout” for joy to the Lord. Somewhere and somehow the joy has been tamed. Great joy calls for shouting and singing while some lesser joy can remain quiet. […]

Jesus is announced as the arrival of “Peace on Earth.” In what ways did his coming bring peace, and in what ways did it disturb peace? Early in Scripture, the last line of the Aaronic blessing says, “May the Lord show you his favor, and give you his peace.” Numbers 6:26. Last week we talked […]

There are so many confusing things in religion–not just the religions of the world, but even within the teaching and life of Christianity. Subtle inroads are made to interject ourselves into the salvation process. Even in those Reformation Christians, it sneaks in to equal faith and works. We may come to believe that God saves, […]

Maybe the most repeated phrase in the entire book of Psalms is “his love endures forever.” What are the implications for our well-being mentally, psychologically, and spiritually when we really buy into the idea that God’s love endures forever? How does knowing you are loved with a perfect love that is also without end affect […]

According to the dictionary, “Righteousness” is the quality of being morally right or justifiable. Today, we live in a culture that has moved away from absolutes (absolutely). For many people, what is right has become what is right in their eyes. But beyond our human perceptions, ideas, and projections, when best understood, we believe there […]

This could be a really long sermon if we just started listing all of God’s wonderful deeds. We will explore the ways God benefits us. The companion text for today, Psalm 103:1-5, points out a number of his deeds for our benefit. How do we receive these? What difference do they make in our lives? […]

What will the Body of Christ look like in the future? Are the determining factors for faithfulness to the gospel large attendance numbers, denominational purity, or a particular belief system? Or will followers of Jesus be known as those who have embraced his call to die to their wants, deny themselves, take up their cross, and […]

Love binds everyone together in perfect harmony. When the church, the Body of Christ, loves one another, it become sight in the darkness.  It becomes the answer for all the sin (misdirected love), and this love is found exclusively in the local church when God is having his way with the Body. Ephesians 2:13-16;19-22

The Church: Fallen and Rescued Gen 3:6; Jeremiah 31:31-33; Gal 5:14The plan was to reflect God’s glory through self-giving other-directed love.  God’s kids were not faithful. Instead of self-giving, they became self-grasping: “the woman saw the tree and took of its fruit.” There was initialized pursuit of their own glory to be like God.  Every […]

The Church: Founded In Love    Ephesians 1:10-22; Philippians 2:6-8 God expanded his universe by his choice, reveling in his self-giving love.  Humanity was created to bear the image of God, to make visible the very likeness of the Creator, and that could not be done in isolation.  God created mankind, “male and female,” a […]