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"…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,…" Romans 8:1

Be assured there will be. But why? Primarily because the value-systems of the world and the Christian are – or should be – so markedly different; causing tension, discord and strife. (John 15:18-20) Why can't we just mind our own business and let "them" do their thing while "we" do ours? Because if we really believe in the Christ of the cross and if indeed the gospel is correct, "they" are going to hell! Can we be unconcerned about that? Salvation is our gift from God,…  ( Click for more )

Historical allusions in sermons and songs never fail to pique my interest. 'You are my King'1 with its reference to a loving, self-sacrificing ruler is no exception. That image is hard to comprehend in today's political climate, rulers tending to take advantage of their positions of power, lording it over their subjects rather than using their influence to insure justice while promoting the common good of the people they are sworn to uphold and protect. (Matthew 20:25- Even the good one's falling prey at times to the allurements of unlimited power and privilege. See 2 Samuel…  ( Click for more )

Although we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:15,16) and perfect (Matthew 5:48), we are never said to be better than anyone – simply better than we were before. We are said to be saints (Colossians 1:12), a title we should aspire to while recognizing we are yet sinners (1 John 1:8) saved by grace. (Ephesians 2:8,9) That is where our distinctiveness is derived; as people who don't always get it absolutely right but who know the difference between right and wrong by virtue of our association with Jesus Christ, striving to do our best as defined by Him in His word.…  ( Click for more )

How's that?! I understand and applaud a God who, "…will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel…" (2 Thessalonians 1:8, see also 1 Peter 4:17b) But why judge me – a Christian – at all, let alone first? Amos gives us a clue as to why God holds us to a higher standard. Like the Israelites of old, we have been chosen, not on our merit but on God's ability to redeem and use us in spite of ourselves. To us has been revealed the God of the universe, whom we now represent to the world. (1 Peter 2:9) We should know better, thus…  ( Click for more )

"Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? …obey the commandments. ….I have. What still do I lack?"

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

"When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. …it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they…  ( Click for more )

We touched on this topic a bit last week, but it can be so crucial to success that a little more time spent in consideration of this principle would be well-spent. Deciding who is acceptable as a counselor and who's counsel is best disregarded can be complicated and achieved primarily through experience. Jesus declared that wisdom is proved right by our actions. (Matthew 11:19); reinforcing Proverbs' injunction to, "Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.." Proverbs 19:20 "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,…' Proverbs 15:20 …  ( Click for more )

Now that you are away from home, for some in a way never before experienced and for others a continuation and broadening of freedoms gained only recently; let me encourage you to listen, learn but discern. The Bible encourages us to seek the counsel of many to assure success. "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22 Even on the national level, strength in numbers is suggested. "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure." Proverbs 11:14 Is this an admonition to listen to anything and everyone who offers…  ( Click for more )

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,…" This includes your educational endeavors! Some people believe education and religion don't mix, espousing the confused notion that, 'Ignorance is bliss', 'All I need to know is what I know', 'What I don't know won't hurt me'; all of which tend to be cop-outs, embracing the idea that people can't be expected to address a problem they know nothing about, (even if it is an intentional ignorance) and fosters a certain pride in "foolishness". Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our…  ( Click for more )

Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech." I Peter 3:10

How important is it for us to control our tongues? Before you answer, think back on how much hurt, confusion, and damage you've experienced or seen in church, at school or work as a result of what someone has said. The good and bad achieved through the spoken word is at times surprising. "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing...this…  ( Click for more )

Who was Josiah? A righteous, God-fearing King of Judah; having become King at age eight. How much could one so young really know? He had to depend on what he was taught. Is that good or bad? It depends on what you do with those foundational teachings; at some point examining them closely, either accepting them as your own or rejecting them for something else. Gaining additional knowledge and increasing faith is your responsibility. Evidently Josiah did, it being said of him, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord…" 2 Kings 22:2 Eighteen years after becoming King,…  ( Click for more )

Sometimes nothing more than making difficult decisions or intelligent choices. Some of you are on your own for the first time in your lives while others have been there for awhile, but we all have to deal with making good decisions and choosing the right path. The prospect of making up your own mind and choosing your own way, while exciting, isn't always as easy as it appears. What's involved here anyway? Anything that will test, try, or entice you to do or want what is wrong, forbidden or hurtful, qualifies as temptation. Anything that provokes or attracts, for not all sin is…  ( Click for more )

Jesus used parables to convey many of his deepest thoughts, using visual images from rural settings many in his audience lived in and could relate to. The parable of the sower is a good example of this technique. (Mark 4:1-20) It still resonates with people today whether they be farmers, backyard gardeners or city-folk tending flower boxes; addressing soil conditions and preparation in anticipation of planting.

Any experienced grower knows the fruitfulness of a crop depends largely on the receptivity of the soil; how it's been cultivated and maintained prior to planting. …  ( Click for more )

What's the difference? Websters defines a disciple as a pupil or follower of another's ideas and ideals, and a follower as an attendant, a servant, one that follows another's beliefs and teachings. Again! What's the difference? It's ultimately a matter of commitment, yet what a difference that can make. It would seem to be significant that the word "Disciple" is lifted pretty much whole and intact from the word "Discipline": training that develops self-control, orderliness, obedience in thought and deed; making self a part of something - not copying a routine, belief or habit…  ( Click for more )

Two weeks ago we attempted to answer that question in part by examining several instances of people caught up in sin – caught sinning – who reacted primarily in one of two ways. Sorrow that was superficial, immobilizing and counter-productive or deeply felt motivation for change. This week we will try to understand why some people become totally consumed by the consequences of their sin while others pick up the pieces – humbled – yet able to make a difference, finding inspiration in what they've been through.

Godly sorrow acknowledges God as the highest authority,…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever said "I'm sorry" because of circumstances that were beyond your control? What was your motivation? Fear, genuine sorrow for how things worked out, because you were expected to after being found out? Have you ever apologized because you knew you had done wrong - even when no one else had caught on yet? What was your motivation? Concern for the one wronged, regret, repentance? Realizing our need in sorrow can be a good gauge of our spiritual maturity; what we do with our lives afterward is a good indicator of our sincerity and understanding of God. "Godly sorrow…  ( Click for more )

Recent articles, interviews and books F1 have questioned not the person of Jesus, who is too widely accepted as a leading historical figure in one form or another; but questioning – even attacking the cross. Its function and value has been declared grotesque and insulting to today's sensitivities. After all, doesn't God condemn violence? (Ezekiel 45:9 – Romans 12:19,20) How can a loving God then condemn anyone, let alone his own son, to death as a result of sin? (Not realizing it is the depth of his love for us that motivated him to do so.) John 3:16

It's an ideal…  ( Click for more )

To understand this admonition fully we should define what it means to be yoked. Webster defines it as: A pair, harnessed together – to fulfill a job; the yoke being a farming apparatus that fits over the animals necks that combines their strength to accomplish a goal. A condition of being under control. Who's? He who puts the yoke in place, they no longer choosing their separate ways but being directed – through the yoke – to a single purpose. Being united or bound; uniting for a common purpose or bound to a cause.

A precondition for yoking animals is that…  ( Click for more )

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13,14

I must admit that this scripture bothers and confuses me. Jesus said that, "…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Paul re-enforces that by stating, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13; while explaining that, "…it is…  ( Click for more )

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13,14

I must admit that this scripture bothers and confuses me. Jesus said that, "…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Paul re-enforces that by stating, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13; while explaining that, "…it is…  ( Click for more )

As the embarrassment of Abu Ghraib continues to unfold, many are left wondering – how could well-trained American soldiers engage in such activity and why would they stoop to behavior that mirrors what they were sent to Iraq to stop? We have convinced ourselves that as a civilized people – a "Christian nation" – we are somehow morally superior and incapable of such activity. If we truly believed and practiced our so-called national faith, that might be true; but evidence is mounting to disprove that theory. Admittedly not everyone claims a Christian heritage anymore…  ( Click for more )

School is almost over – for some it may well be already – and I want to congratulate you on your effort this year and send some of you out into the big bad world with sound advice and encouragement. In meditating on what to say, an old-time hymn came to mind, "Take the Name of Jesus With You." In looking for it I came across another good one, "Take Time To Be Holy." No other advice I could give would be more appropriate or better expressed.

You are all well-educated and prepared for success in the world of business as wage-earners. Make sure you are as well-prepared…  ( Click for more )

Sometimes we say things we don't really mean, often as a result of anger or in an attempt to protect other's feelings. It happens as well in church as we sing praise choruses to a God we don't really know but want to impress none-the-less. One of the more insightful choruses being sung is "Breathe"F1. It's not complicated musically or lyrically, but if sung with conviction and understanding can be extremely powerful.

"This is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe;" The first breath of air we take at birth signifies life, supplying the oxygen our bodies must have to…  ( Click for more )

"Be merciful, just as your father is merciful!" Luke 6:36

The concepts of mercy and grace are cornerstones of our faith; salvation depending on them. But does that have anything to do with our relationship to others? We know Jesus, "…came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 9:10 To do so he became the substitutionary sacrifice for our sin; offering forgiveness and heaven in exchange for a recognition of need, acknowledgement of responsibility and repentance of sin. Is anything more required? We are to, "Be imitators of God." Ephesians 5:1, modeling…  ( Click for more )

Jesus' comment to the Samaritan woman was not merely a rebuke but a challenge to her complacency. Like many today, what beliefs she had she held strongly; but her knowledge of the truth was limited and she was not motivated enough to seek a more complete understanding of her faith. She was comfortable in the knowledge she had; her faith reinforcing who she was and what she did rather than encouraging her to question who she was and what she was about in relation to God and his expectations.

We recently looked at "unbelieving born-agains" at this site, lamenting the fact that…  ( Click for more )