Today’s sermon study led me to Mark 6. It specifically deals with Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth in the region of Galilee. While in Nazareth, Jesus teaches at the synagogue. People are amazed at his mastery of God’s…
The term prophet in the modern, New Testament age always rubbed me the wrong way. I think this issue stems from the abuse of the term that I experienced while attending a charismatic church in my teens. Some would draw…
“Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you.”–Joshua 4:5-6 In the fourth chapter of Joshua God has the people…
In Psalm 51:17 David offers a sacrifice to the Lord. It isn’t a typical animal sacrifice that is seen in other parts of the Old Testament, but a broken Spirit. What an odd choice of words. What does it mean…
Listening to the Supreme Court Justice hearing of Judge Amy Barrett has caused me to reflect on my approach in understanding Scripture. How do the two relate? Judge Barrett takes an originalist view of interpreting the American Constitution and Bill…
To think that we as the people of God are entrusted to represent his majesty is both wonderful and terrifying. Wonderful because we are given such a noble task. Terrifying because that task is wildly important. And so, we become…
Parents spend thousands of dollars each year on their children hoping to give them an edge by sending them to private schools, training camps, and anything else that helps aide success. What parent, after all, does not want to give…
Out of a duty to build bridges with congregants (who vary in their spectrum of belief) as a Pastor, I typically refrain from politically motivated conversations (see why in the following article: When to Remain Silent). However, my only exception…
Christ’s mission wasn’t to win an argument; his mission was to create a pathway for humanity to be redeemed! Winning an argument can amount to very little and is often just two egos battling. You can win an argument and lose the person you were trying to reach. There are too many people trying to win arguments instead of winning people. This needs to stop.
Change is difficult. Like cement, the older we get the more set in our ways we become. Serving as a pastor in a congregation that has a substantial older demographic comes with its challenges. Most of my congregants are over…