March 15, 2020 What is a Christian?  The word is used so loosely, it’s largely lost its meaning.  It is interesting to note it’s actually used only three times in the NT – all in sort of a negative sense.  In Acts 11, the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.  It was said in […]

March 8, 2020 It is great to be with you today after a trip to Israel a couple weeks ago.  It was a great time as we visited places like Caesarea, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Jericho, Bethlehem and Jerusalem – the Temple Mount, Mount Zion, and the Mount of Olives.  It was glorious […]

February 16, 2020 Last Friday was Valentine’s Day.  It’s interesting to review the origin and history of the day –named after Saint Valentine of Rome.  Actually, he did have a little to do with the romantic love for which we celebrate the day.  He was a priest in Rome who was martyred on February 14, […]

February 9, 2020 This has been a challenging time in the book of I Peter.  Some challenging verses with unsettling, against the grain commands.  If we’re honest, things that don’t set well.  Now, this past couple of weeks have certainly come at a good time – reminding us to honor all people, even those in […]

February 2, 2020 We arrive this morning at one of the more challenging passages of Scripture in the Bible.  And it’s actually everywhere.  Not just for what it says, but also for what it does not say.  Opponents of Christianity often point to this passage, others like it to attack the authority, even morality of […]

January 26, 2020 You’ve likely paid attention to the news this week – the past several weeks – as our Congress recently impeached President Trump in the House of Representatives and sent the case to the Senate to be tried.  The two charges against the President include: Abuse of Power in pressuring Ukraine to investigate […]

January 19, 2020 Mission and vision statements are all the rage – for corporations, businesses, even individuals and churches.  And for a few thousand dollars, you can have a church consultant come in, interview your people, meet with your leadership, and craft a nifty statement that fits you.  The funny thing is, while the mission […]

January 12, 2020 I’m not sure I fully understand the United States’, our obsession with British royalty, but it is alive and well.  It’s like we can’t get enough.  Whether it’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the popular Netflix series, The Crown; or Prince Charles of Wales and now deceased […]

January 5, 2020 The first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  It is frequently and rightly noted that at the beginning of creation – when there was nothing – no earth, no sun, no moon, no stars – no universe, notice, there was God.  He alone is the […]

December 29, 2019 Early in its history, the church began establishing practices for baptism.  It was clearly commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” so they did.  For example, the Didache, a very early anonymous […]