The Cross in Troubled Times

Do you know who confessed that, “Pure Americanism can only be secured by confidence in the fact that the Cross of Jesus Christ is the wisest and strongest force in existence.”? Does that sentiment sound right and good to you? It comes straight from a Ku Klux Klan Newspaper. Have we wrestled with the fact […]

Thoughts on Politics: No authority except from God

There will always be wars and rumors of wars. The poor you always have with you. But something greater is here. God Himself has come in the person of Christ as our servant, and has swept in and solved all of our problems of justice and suffering through the cross.

Jesus Eats with Drag Queens?

I have been asked numerous times about what I think about church discipline. Well, I hate it. I have no specific policy about it. I just want everyone to be perfect and stop all the nonsense without any input from me. I have had to take some people aside and ask them to stop being […]

Thoughts on Communion

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 […]

The True Message of the Church isn’t Traditional Family Values

15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would […]

Grace in Community: Group sins, Group redemption

Real love for one another is found in belief in group redemption and lavish grace. It means thinking, concerning everyone, that Jesus has died for us. He has loved us together and redeemed all of us with His blood. And this becomes the new way of doing community – belief.

Watching Trees Grow

We will in all likelihood find it impossible to see change in one another on a day-to-day or even a week-to-week basis. Genuine growth happens slowly, like trees, and not everyone is even a healthy tree in the first place.

kazoo symphony

Kazoos, Terrorists, and the Scandal of Grace

Here’s the real issue: do you really think that your strong moral stance is going to convince sinners to reform? Your harsh rejection is going to inspire them to get right? Isn’t that a little bit like the terrorists thinking that bombing the World Trade Center towers would help the cause of Islam? Mercy and kindness and acceptance and forgiveness are the things that lead us to repentance.

Preaching the Gospel with the Cool Kids

We live in a world where, if you are going to get your message across, you have to get hard and passionate and fiery. If you are trying to browbeat sinners and idiots and fools into right living, that would be the way to go. You’d be more like a football coach than an art […]

Choosing Kindness or Malice – Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32, NASB). This sounds like a wonderful verse, when stripped of context like this! Who doesn’t like kindness, tender-heartedness, quick and beautiful forgiveness? In real life this can be a bit more of a challenge! […]