February 2021

Saint Valentine Was Single

This Sunday fell on Saint Valentine’s Day. According to church history, Valentine was a Christian priest, or possibly a Bishop, living in Rome who was martyred on February 14th in 269 AD during the reign of Claudius II for the crime of marrying Christian couples against the orders of Caesar. In time, he would be […]



Greater Works and the Means to Accomplish Them

As I was reading my way through chapter 14 this week I was brought up short by something Jesus said. In verse 12, Jesus explains to His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because […]



January 2021

A Thumbnail Image of Heaven

Back in 2011, for our tenth anniversary Sarah and I talked her Mom into watching the kids for a week and we made reservations at The Clement Hotel in Monterey, California. We had originally planned to do something really, super-duper splashy for our tenth but then reality and certain pesky things like budgets, car repairs […]



Disciple In Training

In the book of 1 Peter the Apostle Peter writes to his fellow believers scattered abroad and encourages them, among other things, not to fear those who would seek to harm them because of their association with Christ. “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…,” he writes. Then he continues, “but in your hearts […]



Counterfeit Disciple

Have you ever seen a counterfeit bill? I’ve never actually seen or handled one myself, but I have seen some pictures online that looked pretty convincing. I suppose if it’s done well a counterfeit bill will look and feel very much like the real thing. This Sunday as we continue our study through the Gospel […]



Exploring a Mystery

In Acts 20:27 Paul told the Elders of the Ephesian church, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” It is because we desire to receive the whole counsel of God that we have set out to study our way through an entire book of the Bible. We want to […]



Stealing Pennies From A Golden Bowl

A family dinner creates connection, and, as Christians, we ought to know this from church. Too often when churches speak about “creating community” they mean some new program or a small group strategy or something slick and new that they feel will get people together. But in the Bible the focus of community is not […]



December 2020

Things Come to Those Who Wait

There are many crossroads in life that we come to, and New Year’s strikes me as a sort of little crossroads moment where the meandering path of our life, all the days that have come before, brings us to this new day, this new turning of the calendar. At the beginning of a new year […]



Surprised by Joy

Luke 2:8-20 describes three startling and unexpected visitations. First the shepherds were visited in the most spectacular and awe-inspiring way by a whole heavenly host of angels who proclaimed to them the savior’s birth, and then the shepherds in turn visited Bethlehem to see this sight for themselves and to tell anyone who would listen […]



Why the Manger

What an Incredible Story We Are Living In! (Matthew 1:21; Philippians 2:6-8; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:7, 10-12, 52; John 13:5; Matthew 26:39 NIV) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins…Jesus Christ- King of kings, Lord of lords, […]