Grace Mills River

Every elevator pitch ends with the most important thought. In Paul’s mind the thought is that, despite all, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Everyone suffers. What is uniquely available to those for whom Christ is their hope? How are we to even think of our sufferings without deducing that God is either a tyrant or incompetent?

Paul has made stark and soaring claims so far. His words might fall flat if he never addressed how his news means to answer our experience with suffering. How are we to understand what defies reason? How are we to hope when so much, so fast, can dash...

Why has identity risen as the thing most sought, and most championed, and therefore elicits the greatest emotion when it’s even slightly threatened? Why is there now a whole politics associated with identity? What does it mean to have an identity in...

The irony of an increasingly secularized world is that interest and devotion to spirituality is not only unabated but exploding. Little to no consensus exists among those who practice some form of spirituality, except the common rejection of the...

The book of Ephesians holds together like a water-tight chamber. To me it is the best summary of the Christian life in the NT. As I thought about preaching this week, I kept coming back to the book of Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 speak of our identity in...

The theology of the gospel is an endless source of books, papers, dissertations, and blog posts. But isn’t there a simplicity to the gospel that can both be easily conveyed to the unfamiliar, and yet also readily rediscovered by those for whom it’s...

To begin the new year, we’ll listen to one chapter for the whole good news: Romans 8. But the glory of that chapter can’t be appreciated apart from the sobriety and poignancy of Romans 7. The beauty of grace can’t be seen apart from the blessing of...

Christmas means many things--among them is a word and work of comfort that in turn renews strength for life.

What are we waiting for in advent? We are waiting for Jesus to come again to renew all things forever. However, between his once and future advent we can be prone to frustration, impatience, and even disillusionment. So, how can we have the audacity...