In late 1976, a man named Jean-Bedel Bokassa led a government takeover in the Central African Republic, a nation right in the middle of Africa. Naturally, as the leader of the takeover, he decided it would be a good idea if he became the new leader of the government. But being President was not enough […]
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In Matthew 22:21, Jesus says “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” With that phrase, our Savior establishes the validity of human government and its limits. Caesar has his name and image on certain things, so they rightly belong to him. In other words, there is a proper domain and […]
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Is there anything more polarizing today than American politics and the social order? Unfortunately, this polarization does not exclude Christians from being involved in promoting God’s wisdom for human flourishing. While we must be involved, we can do so with wisdom and discernment. Looking at two different passages of Scripture, I would like to offer […]
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First Corinthians 12 tells us that the church is like a human body. Each one of us is one body made up of all kinds of different, unique parts that function together, with unfathomable harmony and interdependence. Whether those different parts are prominent or obscure, strong or weak, they are all necessary, and they all […]
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In the time of the New Testament, almost every wealthy household had a steward. The steward managed the house for his employer. He would supervise the servants, make sure the children were fed, supervised, and schooled, make sure the bills were paid, make sure the house was taken care of, and make sure everything ran […]
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After Jesus rose from the dead, and before he ascended into heaven, he gave his followers, including us if we claim his name, our ultimate purpose and mission as we live our lives. He did this on several different occasions. It’s what we now call the Great Commission, and it is included at the end […]
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The moment we believe in Jesus we are transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. The kingdom isn’t here in its fullness yet, but we are already citizens of the kingdom that is coming. As a church we are a kingdom outpost, meant to be a preview of the coming kingdom, […]
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Jesus begins his Great Commission with the most staggering claim, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). With these words, Jesus says he is the King of the Universe. He, today, God in the flesh, alive not dead, is King over everything. This is why we follow him, why […]
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The Lord’s Day is the day that Christians gather together and worship God, following the practice of churches from the time of the apostles in the New Testament (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2). It is a weekly event, intended to set the rhythm for all of life and give structure to our Christian commitment and […]
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This Sunday, Nov. 27, is the first day of Advent, which we begin with our Hanging of the Green service. Advent is a season of preparation that helps us as a church to look forward to the celebration of Christmas, and beyond Christmas to the second coming of Jesus Christ. During this season we remember […]
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