“I have no clue what that means,” I thought to myself! I was in our weekly Sermon Club where all of our church staff listens to the theme of an upcoming message and collectively provides their input and perspective on the proposed message. One of our Elders, “Bear” (that is such a cool nickname), was…
The 40 days of Lent are about preparation and repentance. Easter is about our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This makes it a time of rejoicing. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be…
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13, NIV The word translated “temptation” can also be translated as “trials” or “tests.” The consensus is that those things that challenge us toward positive growth are trials or tests, while those things that lead us toward sin are temptations. The…
From the book: “Resident Aliens – A Provocative Christian Assessment of Culture and Ministry for People Who Know That Something is Wrong.” By Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon. The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason (1685-1815), radically reoriented European and Western politics, philosophy, science, and religion. Thinkers of the time questioned traditional…