Reformation21

From Cecil B. de Mille’s silent epic King of Kings (1927) to Mel Gibson’s intense and bloody Passion of the Christ (2004), movies about Jesus have always provoked controversy. In the 1940s, when Dorothy Sayers wrote a series of radio plays on the life of Christ for the BBC called The Man Born to Be...

True repentance grows in the gospel soil of God’s sovereign grace. Its roots comprise both biblically-informed grief over sin and biblically-informed apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ. Its trunk and branches are turning from sin and turning to God. Its fruit is the endeavor for new obedience in...

If you have ever been called a “single-issue voter,” chances are it was not meant as a compliment. “Single-issue voter” is to political discourse what “flat-earther” is to scientific discourse—a label for low intelligence. The sins commonly associated with single-issue voting are narrow-mindedness...

The title of Leon Wood’s book, The Distressing Days of the Judges , well describes Israel’s troubled era from the death of Joshua to the coming of Samuel. Judges records the cyclical pattern of Israel’s sin with foreign nations as it worshipped their gods, was enticed by their goods and women, and...

When I was younger and growing up in a Lutheran congregation, I knew the worship service was almost over when the congregation sang a scripture song (canticle) that began : “Thank the Lord and sing His praise…” following the communion. On one occasion of singing this song, I remember leaning over...

There are many difficult questions to answer in Christianity. Does God stand outside of time? What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Who really was the streaker in Mark’s gospel? But one that has always challenged me is the nature of the unforgivable sin. The Sin in Scripture In Luke 12:10, Jesus...

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon,which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded...

Saving repentance grows in gospel soil. It is not simply a natural terror stirred up by the law or a fear of retributive justice; it is the gift of God, a product of gospel grace. Real repentance ( as we saw last time ) comes from the Holy Spirit, and results in grief over sin, prayer for pardon,...

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” “The church is full of hypocrites.” That’s often the conclusion of those who have been there, seen it, tasted the potluck and the politics, and decided that, on the whole, a Sunday morning bike ride is the better option. To be fair, you’re...

In my early years of pastoring, I remember reading books and articles on pastoral ministry and leadership that emphasized the importance of vision and mission and 1-year goals and 5-year goals. Those may have their place. But what if real results and fruitfulness are not short-term, immediate...