One of the striking messages of the Psalms is that God’s faithful people, real believers in him, experience deep longings that seem to be unmet. Take, for instance, Psalm 119:81-82, “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, ‘When will...
When I was a child, my family spent a few summers camping at a lake in East Tennessee. A floating platform was situated off the shore of the lake, just far enough to be reached with an easy swim by an average swimmer. But, I was young and a less than...
Believe it or not, I am not normally a confident decision-maker. Being faced with a challenging decision that has no clear, certain path can put my already anxious mind in the red zone. And yet, decisions are a part of my everyday life and my role as a pastor and...
On Saturday morning I plan to do two things. First, I will write the final draft of the Sunday sermon from Romans 1:16-17. Will you pray for me? Second, I will pray for Grace Community Church and one other congregation in our city. Will you join me in these weekend...
“You are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” -Romans 1:6 Living as a Christian is like responding to a call. In grace, God calls us. By faith, we respond. “By grace through faith,” is the call and response of the gospel. In the opening chapter of the book of Romans,...
Messages shape us. Some messages go to the deepest core of our being and are hard to replace. Others awaken newness in us that redirects the course of our lives. For good or bad, messages are powerful. That’s why we can be grateful that God has given his message to...