Posts from March 2015

GIFTED: Jesus is the Frame

Psalm 119 is clear. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (verse 9). That’s the way to do it! By remembering to read Scripture and apply it to our everyday lives, we can defend against the evil one and avoid sin. That’s all there is to…

Pastor, what do we believe?

Recently I have been a part of a series of opportunities to talk about different beliefs as they apply to different religions and different denominations within Christianity. This seems to always be a topic that interests people. We like to know what our Roman Catholic or Baptist brothers and sisters think when it comes to…

The Gift of God: Reframing for Action

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel had a high priest who would make sacrifices on their behalf. This was necessary in order for their sins to be forgiven, but there was a problem. The high priest was also sinful. “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf…

GIFTED: Steadfast Life

What is needed to sustain life? That’s an easy question. The basics include food, water, and shelter. But beyond physical life, the question isn’t so easy. Our human condition is one of brokenness. We are helpless in so many ways. We are aimless, wavering in the wind. We are ignorant, not sure of what is…

Religion and Value

This is an important question that all too often we neglect to answer for our neighbors around us. How is your experience of Jesus and His Church somehow valuable to you? Our culture (both in its secular and parochial manifestations) has done a phenomenal job of denigrating the word “religion” to mean something that has…