Who is the Spirit and Fire Baptizer? During Advent 2022, we are studying the preaching of John the Baptist’s in Matthew chapter 3. In the previous post, we looked at verses 11-12 where John introduced us to a person who would come, a person who is greater than John because while John baptizes with water,Continue reading “Who is the Spirit and Fire Baptizer? – Advent 2022, Week 3, Part 2”
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John the Baptist’s big surprise – Advent 2022, Week 3, Part 1
Have you ever seen sidewalk chalk illusions? I’m talking about the realistic, 3D pictures that look like a real deep cavern has opened up in the road coming up. Or maybe the picture is a monster lurking in a cave. The dog in the picture above seems like it is not fooled at all. InContinue reading “John the Baptist’s big surprise – Advent 2022, Week 3, Part 1”
Repentance leads to forgiveness and social justice – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 5
Jesus’ disciple Peter once asked Jesus if he, Peter, should forgive someone seven times. Peter was on to something here. Peter was thinking about repentance the right way, that proper repentance will likely require multiple applications of repentance. (See Matthew 18:21) Peter is thinking about forgiveness from the perspective of the person who has beenContinue reading “Repentance leads to forgiveness and social justice – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 5”
What real repentance actually looks like – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 4
But neither sorrow nor confession is repentance. Paul writes about this in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, whatContinue reading “What real repentance actually looks like – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 4”
The power of the words “I am sorry” – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 3
In our study of John’s preaching in Matthew 3, so far this week we’ve learned that he called people to repent. We also learned that repentance is often predicated by sorrow. But sorrow is not repentance. Instead, we learned the repentance is an action. What action? As we continue reading in Matthew 3, look atContinue reading “The power of the words “I am sorry” – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 3″
Repenting is action – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 2
I’ve been teaching a theology class this fall, and repentance was a topic we covered. It was interesting how many of the students missed this active dynamic of repentance. Actually, it seems many of them confused repentance with sorrow and confession. Those terms are certainly related to repentance, cousins maybe. As we learned in theContinue reading “Repenting is action – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 2”
Air Force 1 and repentance – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 1
I have a friend who is like John the Baptist. He is a pilot in the US Air Force. In addition to his primary duty flying planes, my friend has served on the Air Force’s advance team for Air Force One, the specially-fitted jumbo jet that the US President uses to fly all over theContinue reading “Air Force 1 and repentance – Advent 2022, Week 2, Part 1”
We can’t be Jesus’ disciples without helping others also become his disciples – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 5
When Jesus commissioned his disciples to make disciples, they did so. Their disciples continued the mission, making more disciples. 2 Timothy 2:2 is a wonderful vision of this cycle, as Paul tells Timothy to teach people who will be able to teach more people. That’s four generations of disciples in just one verse! We ChristiansContinue reading “We can’t be Jesus’ disciples without helping others also become his disciples – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 5”
How to change – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 4
How do people change? How do people who are following Jesus become more like Jesus? An extremely important way to begin is to humbly and teachably read his word and ask the Spirit of God to convict you of any sin in your life that needs to be changed. The next step is to shareContinue reading “How to change – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 4”
The failure of the American church’s educational model of discipleship – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 3
We’ve been talking about what Jesus meant in Matthew 7, verse 21, when he says that the only ones who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven are those who do the will of the father in heaven. What is his will? Jump ahead to Matthew 16:24-28. Jesus says it clear as day: “If anyone wouldContinue reading “The failure of the American church’s educational model of discipleship – Becoming Disciplemakers, Part 3”
Engaging Scripture 