Pursuing an Impossible Future

Walter Brueggeman, in The Prophetic Imagination, points out that the defining characteristic of the biblical prophets was not the ability to predict the future, especially not in the Nostradamus-type way that we tend to think of it in modern times. Neither was their role primarily that of acting as the...

Cheapening the Gospel

We’ve made the Gospel all about life after death, and in doing so we’ve cheapened the Gospel. The Gospel is cheapened when we make the stakes very low. Think about it: if the Gospel is right, believing in Jesus means we avoid Hell and get to live in Heaven for the rest of our lives. If the Gospel is wrong,...

Strength for Whatever

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” –Philippians 4:13. This is one of those Bible verses you find on those little daily flip calendars with pretty pictures and a different Scripture each day to inspire us to face our day with courage, optimism, and a go-get-‘em attitude. I doubt...

The Permissive Father and Absurd Grace

The Permissive Father: A message given on June 7,2015 Today we begin a four-week series on what I believe is the greatest parable ever told, the parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable shows the absolute genius that Jesus was, because on the surface it’s a very simple story of a man who had two sons, one...

Redwood Time and the Kingdom of God

The Coast Redwood is the world’s tallest living organism, with the tallest towering 35 to 38 stories high. From a distance a tree that tall looks long and slender like a basketball player, but in fact the Coast Redwood is massive. At eye-level the trunk can be 27 feet in diameter, the length of two VW...

« Older Entries Next Entries »