If you had to describe God in one word, which is impossible I know, what word would you use? Pause reading this, think about it, maybe write down the word, and then come back to the email. What word to you land on? Holy? Pure? Trinity? Jesus? Perfect? All-powerful (or its fancy synonym, “omnipotent”)? AnotherContinue reading “God is______? – Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Preview”
Monthly Archives: April 2022
How to enter the Kingdom of God – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 5
After illustrating the acts of the sinful nature, as we learned in the previous post on Galatians 5:16-26, Paul has a clear warning for the people. Look at the end of verse 21, “If we live according the desires and indulgences of the sinful nature, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” That’s aContinue reading “How to enter the Kingdom of God – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 5”
Examining the acts of the sinful nature – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 4
In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul lists some examples of what he calls “the acts of the sinful nature.” It is not a comprehensive list, as that could potentially fill multiple volumes. Instead Paul mentions a dozen or so examples to illustrate how all humans have a sinful nature. In this post we’ll examine his list. I’mContinue reading “Examining the acts of the sinful nature – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 4”
How to have victory in the inner battle of our sinful nature vs the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 3
We’ve had quite a long introduction to the passage we’re studying this week. Two whole posts here and here. We’ve learned that God is passionate about helping people become the kind of people that live in line with his heart. But how? By following laws? No. In those introductory posts we discussed Paul’s clear messageContinue reading “How to have victory in the inner battle of our sinful nature vs the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 3”
Christians are free from the law and free for holiness – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 2
In the United States we often say, “It’s a free country, I can do what I want.” But that’s not true. Yes, the USA is a free country, but people are not free to do whatever they want. We have TONS of laws, and if you break a law you will face the consequences. WeContinue reading “Christians are free from the law and free for holiness – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 2”
Is Christian freedom dangerous? – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 1
Do you know any tongue-twisters? How about “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”? Or maybe “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?” Can you say the difficult “She sells seashells by the seashore”? Did you know the Bible has a tongue-twister? Here it is. Romans 7:15-20, “I do not understand what I do.Continue reading “Is Christian freedom dangerous? – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 1”
What is your Kryptonite? – Galatians 5:16-26, Preview
What is your Kryptonite? You know how Superman is utterly powerful and has no weakness, except for the rare mineral Kryptonite? When he is in the presence of even a small pebble of Kryponite, he cowers and becomes like an ordinary human. Is there something like that in your life? It could be a certainContinue reading “What is your Kryptonite? – Galatians 5:16-26, Preview”
What my dog’s howling taught me about how God wants to change the world – Easter 2022, Romans 8, Part 5
We live just down the road from a local volunteer fire station, so we hear the fire siren quite regularly. If my dog is outside when the siren goes off, my dog will start howling. I don’t know why he doesn’t howl inside. Only outside. But here’s the thing. He cannot control the howling. WhenContinue reading “What my dog’s howling taught me about how God wants to change the world – Easter 2022, Romans 8, Part 5”
How to conquer pain, death and loss – Easter 2022, Romans 8, Part 4
We have begun the season of Easter 2022 seeking to understand how the resurrection of Jesus gives hope to the separated, the condemned, the suffering. Paul’s words in Romans chapter 8 have already been inspiring. Now we turn to the amazing end of the chapter, and Paul’s message just keeps getting better. Let’s start byContinue reading “How to conquer pain, death and loss – Easter 2022, Romans 8, Part 4”
Hope for those who are groaning – Easter 2020, Romans 8, Part 3
I was groaning a lot when I did my taxes recently. I dread doing taxes because the tax forms can be so frustrating. My family has a number of unique circumstances that intensify the frustration. I am pastor, which means I get a housing allowance. My wife operated a business. I have education expenses. FinallyContinue reading “Hope for those who are groaning – Easter 2020, Romans 8, Part 3”
Let's Talk About Sunday 