When I was growing up in Houston, our family lived across the street from a widow named Mrs Roberts. Her husband had recently died from a sudden heart attack. Alone, afraid, and facing an unknown future, her grief knew no bounds. In the weeks that followed the funeral, my mother watched Mrs Roberts leave the […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Easter
The Gathering Storm
Introduction While Jesus was indeed gentle and kind, He also took a bold stand against sin. In fact, when confronting evil dressed in the garb of religion, His formidable anger took many by surprise. He sharply rebuked the religious leaders in Israel for turning their privileged status into an opportunity to gain wealth and power. […]
Read MoreThe Trinity and Salvation
You can easily zip through 1 Peter 1:2 and miss the Trinity in the work of salvation. Many Christians forget—or at least fail to appreciate—the fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together in perfect harmony to secure our eternal destiny. One author writes, “Each person of the Godhead plays a distinct role: […]
Read MoreThis Should Be Me
The sound of bleating lambs and shuffling footsteps filled the temple. With three trumpet blasts, the priests announced the start of the Passover sacrifices. Worshipers responded to the priests’ psalms with “Hallelujahs” as each man offered his household’s sacrifice to God. As the disciple John raised the knife to the throat of the lamb he’d […]
Read MoreThe Full Gospel…And Nothing More
In Bible college I sat under Dr. Charles Ryrie for a course in soteriology—the doctrine of salvation. He opened the first lecture with this instruction: “Take out a piece of paper. You have less than one minute to share the gospel with a stranger, or he’ll be lost for eternity. Write down what that person […]
Read MoreWhen Jesus Fails Your Expectations
John the Baptist struggled with his own sermon. He had preached about the Messiah’s kingdom coming with power and justice. But instead, Jesus’s ministry centered on preaching and on acts of mercy, and John found himself unfairly wasting away in prison near the blistering shores of the Dead Sea. Gentle Jesus hardly seemed the political […]
Read MoreThe Devil Made Me Do It?
More than thirty years ago Flip Wilson kept America in stitches with his television characters “Reverend Leroy,” the friendly, pompous pastor of the “Church of What’s Happening Now,” and “Geraldine Jones,” the sassy African-American woman in a miniskirt. Whenever Geraldine would impulsively buy a dress—or do anything she shouldn’t—she excused her urge by uttering the […]
Read MoreHow Does the Death of Jesus Save Me?
Question: I’ve been told that Jesus died for my sins. What does that mean exactly? How could the death of Jesus help me get to heaven? What does the death of Christ save me from? Answer: One way to understand the meaning of the death of Jesus is to imagine a courtroom scene in which […]
Read MoreFollow Through
My Grandfather’s brother taught me to drive. Uncle Dick was a wiry, chipper little Welshman who had driven lorries for the local council most of his life. “When you indicate, always follow through.” Gear control was important, lane discipline was important, checking your mirrors was important, but most important: “when you indicate, always follow through.” […]
Read MoreCelebrating the Songs of the Resurrection
It comes as a surprise to no one that I love music. Choral music, instrumental music, popular music, as well as classical stuff . . . folk tunes, ballads, fun songs, and serious works . . . country western and bluegrass, as well as the patriotic and romantic. For me, music is a must. This […]
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