This Weekend, We Celebrate Pentecost
In ancient Israel, there were three annual festivals that Jewish males were required to attend: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Exod 23:14-17; Deut 16:16). The Feast of Weeks (also referred to as the Festival of Harvest) was celebrated seven weeks after Passover, and since the festival occurred on the...
A Response to the Reversal of Roe v. Wade
Friends, Yesterday, the Supreme Court overturned the highly controversial Roe v. Wade decision made 50 years ago. Though we know this isn’t the end of abortions throughout the United States, this is a massive step in significantly reducing them. We...
This Weekend, We Celebrate Pentecost
In ancient Israel, there were three annual festivals that Jewish males were required to attend: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Exod 23:14-17; Deut 16:16). The Feast of Weeks (also referred to as the Festival of Harvest) was...
Understanding The Day of Ascension
“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3 For many of us, Easter ended a long time ago. Forty days ago, to be exact. It’s a distant memory, and now our...
Before The Commands, There Is Grace
We’ve all been there at some point. You’re a kid, and you just received a gift from someone. You rip into it, and you pull out that action figure, flashlight, or whatever it is that you wanted as a kid. Then, to your dismay, you find that the toy you received requires...
Why Corporate Prayer Matters
Over the past few weeks, I have been slowly walking through the book of Deuteronomy. Reading the ninth chapter, I was struck by how often God’s message to his people is counterintuitive to modern sensibilities. Chapter 9 brings us to the brink of a major...
Everyday Discipleship with Teenagers
“Change starts with a conversation.” I heard this phrase a few years ago at church camp and it has stuck with me ever since. You never know what conversations will come up throughout the day or where a conversation may lead. Some conversations we walk away from...
The People God Uses
Have you ever felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit, urging you to speak up, act out, or pursue a calling that you have stifled? It could be a big endeavor, like full-time ministry, or a small nudge, such as sharing the Gospel with your waitress. In either case, we have a...
You Play an Important Role in the Church
“I’m not sure that I have a spiritual gift.” A friend told me this over coffee one evening - the kind of confession that comes from believing that you’re the only one who feels this way. I’m not sure she’s alone, though. It’s a common experience - to question what...
Don’t Reduce Your Relationship With God to a Checklist
This past Sunday, we looked at a shocking scene in Luke 4 where the people who knew Jesus best became the very first to attempt to kill him. They weren’t people from various walks of life with different worldviews. They were devout Jews in their own synagogue. They...
What is Lent?
Two of the most precious days in the year for Christians are Christmas and Easter. And both days are preceded by an extended season meant to prepare us for them. For Christmas, the season of preparation is Advent, a season in which our anticipation builds for the...