Resurrection Sunday, 2023 – Every one of us has a dominant story that shapes the way we view the world, ourselves, and God. For some it's a story of pain, loss, rejection. For others it's a story of hard work, effort put in, and reward or accomplishment. But all of those stories are but smaller stories inside the Greatest Story...the Story of God as spoken in the Bible.
Jesus drills the whole conversation about being prepared for his return to three simple but powerful words: Repent or Perish.
Born guilty of Adam’s sin, we stand guilty before the highest court there is. But shockingly, Jesus steps in. Our guilt is applied to him, and his righteousness is applied to us! How can it be!?
"What is wrong with people?" That is a question all of us have to answer, because every day we see or hear news of war, violence, abuse, racism, hatred, and feel the effects of anger, envy, pride, lust, etc. The Bible doesn't run from this topic, it hits it head on.
Genesis 1 and 2 aren't as much about the "when" and "how" the universe came to be, as much as they are about the "Who" and the "why" it came to be.
What does it mean to say that God is “holy”? What do we mean when we talk about his holiness? Can grace and holiness exist side-by-side, or does one eliminate the other? This look into Isaiah 6 helps us answer some of those questions.
Fear moves units off shelves. Fear sells products, runs governments, etc. But we’re commanded to be joyful and rejoice, even in the face of intense hardship. How does that work???
We use the word “hope” in situations of wishful thinking. “I hope it snows for Christmas.” But biblical hope isn’t based on something unpredictable, like weather. It’s based on something as predictable as the morning.
Jesus tells a fisherman to do the impossible, touches a leper, and forgives the sin of a cripple who didn’t ask. The kingdom is here!