Church Blog
When God Says No
It’s one of the most confusing challenges of life. It prompts the question, “Why?” At a minimum it’s frustrating; at maximum, angering. It can shake the foundations of our faith. However, it can also be one of the most faith-building experiences of our existence. It can draw us closer to God and deepen our relationship with him like no other experience can. It’s when God says, “No.” God has opened the door of heaven to us and invited us to…
The Way Aromas Hit People
I was originally going to call this, “The way we smell to others,” but thought that might be misleading or inaccurate. Paul uses a very unusual illustration to make an important point in 2 Corinthians 2:12-17. The backdrop of the illustration was when he came to Troas to take advantage of an open door to preach the gospel. It was a trying experience, as he couldn’t find Titus there. He left them for Macedonia (12-13). In chapter three, he is…
Will a Man Rob God?
I once heard a comedian confess that in his childhood, he and a friend would wrap double-stick tape around their fingers before the collection plate was passed on Sundays. They would make it look like they were placing something in the plate, when they were actually taking coins out. Any right-thinking person can see how deplorable such thievery is. We would never be guilty of such a terrible deed. Or, would we? When the prophet Malachi delivered his scathing rebuke…
Law and Faith in Galatians
A concerned preacher in another town contacted me recently regarding an article posted on our website in which I listed the following lesson from Galatians with accompanying scripture references from that book, “Justification is by faith, not law in general or the Law of Moses in particular (2:16-21; 3:1-14, 21-23; 4:1-5; 4:22-31).” The brother asked me to clarify that statement, especially in light of passages that speak of the New Testament being a law, such as Galatians 6:2, “the law…