Church Life
-
It’s That Time of Year
It seems as if Spring has sprung! What a blessing it is to see the green grass, the blooming trees, and the beautiful flowers that wake up in this season. I love all of the seasons, but Spring is one of my favorites. So many beautiful things come along with Spring and Summer. We can open our windows and let the fresh air in. We can get outside and enjoy some physical activities. We can shed those heavy winter coats and boots. We can also shed our heavy clothes. And we can put on… What exactly will be put on during these warm months ahead of us? For many people, the…
-
Getting Into the Lane (or Something Much More Important)
I’m not sure that I can think of a sport (at least one that I follow) that has exactly the same rules in place that were in place when I was growing up. Before some smart aleck suggests that the only sports that existed when I was growing up were the original Olympic Games, I can assure that this is not the case! There are a variety of reasons for changes in the rules for certain sports. Sometimes, those reasons involve concern for the safety and protection of the participants. Maybe there is an effort to speed up the game, to make the event more exciting, to include more participants,…
-
Week of March 10 “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”
On her video series this week, Leah discusses a period of Bible history that is often overlooked, the period of Judah alone. You can watch the video below or, if you choose, click here to watch on her YouTube channel. On the “margin” podcast, Adam gives a note this week from the time of preparation for receiving the 10 Commandments. Click here to listen.
-
The Most Intolerant People You Will Meet
The word “tolerance” has certainly come into wide use in recent years. We are told that we have to be tolerant of any number of things. Even if you do not agree with something, you just have to tolerate it. After all, to do any less just is not a Christian attitude. We can set that aside very quickly by pointing out that Jesus did not tolerate anything and everything. He clearly condemned religious bigotry. He told people that they had sinned. He even taught in such a way–via parables–that some would understand and some would not. But I want to go down a different road. Maybe by now I…
-
So Close, and Yet So Far
Our young people at West Side are some of the best ever. Yes, I know I’m biased when I say that, but I do have evidence to back it up. About three months ago, a few of them approached me with a request. They had noticed that several people had expressed difficulty with daily Bible reading and wanted to set up a system for coming up with topical Bible readings and keeping one another accountable in their reading. They asked me if I could make a group chat that people could join and, if the members of the group chat would decide on a topic each week, whether I could…
-
The Board & The Cross
I remember reading a unique book years ago. Each chapter was written by a person who had left the church that the Lord said that He would build (Matt. 16:18) and was now a member of a church begun by some man, group, and/or “movement.” Because of the passing of time (and my not-so-accurate memory), I have forgotten a lot of what I read. I do remember thinking at the time that most of the contributors to the book had “an axe to grind,” some sort of agenda, or some other reason for writing that I didn’t believe to be valid. Before I get some pushback on that, I fully…
-
Week of March 3 “Into the Heart of the Bible” and “Something from the Margin of My Bible”
On her video lesson this week, Leah overviewed one of the most confusing parts of the Bible for many people: the period of the Divided Kingdom. To watch the lesson, click here or watch below. On the “margin” podcast, Adam shared a very short note about Exodus 20:2. To listen, click here.
-
Jesus Saves
While traveling down the interstate in southern Illinois recently I noticed a small yellow sign along the road. Had I been driving, I would have missed it, but I was the passenger in the front seat. It was a tiny sign, given the size of most signs along the highway, and it was up in some trees that were rather large. Its message was the title of this post. Now, you may be thinking that I’m going to write something about the beauty of that message (and it is a beautiful message). Any mention of Jesus and His ability to save us from our sins is a beautiful message. However,…
-
My Favorite (and Least Favorite) Scene after Worship
I love worship. I tell people regularly that worship is hard for me because, if I am not truly focused on a song or a prayer, my mind will go to my sermon and be “rehearsing” what I’m about to say. Still, though it is hard work, I love it. And sometimes during a worship service, we will have a public response. Often, it is someone who is a Christian and is seeking prayers of forgiveness or encouragement. What a joy to pray together! At other times, it is one who is lost but desires to put Christ on in baptism. There is no greater way to end a worship…
-
12 Lessons from the Book of Job
This winter, I was fortunate enough to be asked to teach a survey of the book of Job to our main adult class at West Side. This book is one of the richest collections of wisdom poetry in the history of the world, and its insights into the nature of divine justice and deliverance exceed all others. As usual, I feel an immense sense of gratitude for the lessons I have learned through teaching through this book as well as discussing it with others in the process. There are many more than 12 valuable lessons about God that I have learned and relearned through teaching this class. That said, I’d…
