Growing Deeper Into the Soil of God's Word to Bear Fruit For His Kingdom
"We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 2:15-16a) A couple of months ago, Olga and I traded in my 2004 Volkswagon Jetta for a 2010 Honda Odyssey. It was a big move... Continue Reading →
This morning I invite you to open your bibles with me to the book of Galatians. Galatians chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Last week we began a new series as we go through this letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia. We’ve entitled this series, “New Freedom, New People,” which... Continue Reading →
...they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. (Galatians 2:7-8) Have you ever wished you had... Continue Reading →
Goede morgen en groetjes van onze familie van Nederland. Bedankt voor het vakantie Good morning and greetings from our family in the Netherlands. Thank you for the vacation. It is truly good to be among you again. You have been missed and prayed for. I’d like to invite you this morning to turn with me... Continue Reading →
In The Last Battle, the concluding book of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, heaven comes crashing into earth. Aslan, the Christ-figure, returns and the characters see him face-to-face, and those who respond with joy are invited into the wide open country of salvation. And what they discover is that this salvation land, this redemption country,... Continue Reading →
“Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you in favor I will show you compassion.” (Isaiah 60:10) In Isaiah 60, the Lord shares a vision of the heavenly city with a people covered in darkness. Israel has suffered under oppression, been exiled, and forced to pay... Continue Reading →
We have been exploring, in these last few weeks, the ways in which the Christian faith speaks into every square inch of our lives. In particular, we have been asking how God’s Word speaks to our lives at work. We saw in Genesis 1-3 that all of work is good, all of work is fallen,... Continue Reading →
Last week Pastor Stephen started us off on our series about work, building a foundation for us. We read the story of creation, of Adam and Eve, and how “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” We learned that work... Continue Reading →
This is a community that values work - hard work. In our time here, I’ve seen some of the beauty of this, and some of its dangers. We know both the joy and peace of good work, a job well done, and we know the bondage that work can become. As we have watched you... Continue Reading →
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15) We live in a time of enmity. In this first proclamation of the gospel in Genesis 3, this first promise that God would bring redemption through the... Continue Reading →
Etz Pri 