JUSTICE, PEACE AND SEX
I Thess. 4: 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and...
JUGGLING ACTS
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks...
“Church History, For A Thousand Dollars”
What was so unique about Anabaptism during the Reformation? What is Postmodernism? What is Christendom? What is the Reformation? What makes Anabaptism uniquely relevant today?“ Who are the Anabaptists?” (Apologies to any fans of Jeopardy) Any fans of the TV game show,...
“In The REAL World”
Rev. 5: 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He...
FOR PEACE SUNDAY 2019
Eph. 4: 4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And...
WHEN IDEOLOGY COMES TO CHURCH
Galatians 5: 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor...
The Bible Unwrapped……According to a Good Jewish Friend
Not that I actually knew the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-19720, but whenever I read something of his, I get the strange sense that he knew me. Works of his that have enlightened and blessed me by helping me see the Bible from a Jewish perspective (slap...
GROWTH AND THE ALTERNATIVE
Eph.4: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become...
THE CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING ELDER BROTHER
Based on Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15: 11-32 by Mathew Swora The scene was a room in a musty old church basement. Beige paint was peeling in flecks from the cinderblock walls, while knocking and banging noises were coming from a radiator. The floor:...
Law, Love and Grace
In all seriousness, with no discernible sense of humor nor irony, student protesters and rioters in the streets of Paris, in May of 1968, chanted, “It is forbidden to forbid!” Had they lingered in thought a few moments over an espresso at a sidewalk bistro before...