Fundamental Truths
In just about everything in life, mastery of the fundamentals is essential to success. This fact applies whether you are a beginning surgeon, musician, athlete, artist, etc. This also applies when it comes to the world of ideas; specifically, those ideas which have to do with the area known in philosophy and theology as epistemology: [...]
Is God’s Word Working in Me? 1 Thessalonians 2:13
A wise commentator once said, “Solemn responsibility rests upon those who hear the Word of God mediated through Spirit-filled preachers. It is tragically possible to be so preoccupied with the person of the preacher, or so prejudiced by proud or obstinate thoughts, that the Word becomes only words” (Airhart).Such words are very true and very [...]
“No Griping Allowed” – Dr. Robert Anderson
We live in a nation so blessed by physical wealth, yet we Christians still seem to manage to be some of the biggest gripers about what we don’t have or when things aren’t going our way. Please join Dr. Bob Anderson, filling in for pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist church in Portland, Oregon, as [...]
“Trustees, Mothers, Fathers” – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
It was suggested in last week’s sermon (the thanksgiving of Paul for the Thessalonians) that the apostle Paul planted the seeds of several themes he would cultivate throughout the rest of the letter. We come now to that first theme: the integrity of the apostles. Because it is dealt with right out of the gate [...]
“Turning, Serving, Waiting” – Thessalonica: The Young Church in Action
Many Christians think that we are living on the brink of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such was also the case for the apostle Paul and the newly formed church in the city of Thessalonica in 49 A.D. The church was being greatly persecuted, yet the Thessalonians themselves were gaining a resounding [...]
Thessalonica: The Young Church in Action – “Grace to You and Peace”
What’s in a verse? The very first verse of the apostle Paul’s first letter to the young church in Thessalonica is absolutely packed with significance. Although the form of greeting in letters was common in the Greco-Roman world, by the power of the Holy Spirit Paul elevated it to an entirely new level. Join us [...]
1 Thessalonians: The Young Church in Action – Welcome to Thessalonica!
A relatively young city in the ancient world, Thessalonica was an important commercial city in the bosom of the Roman empire. Known as “the gem of Macedonia,” Thessalonica lay along the important Roman road, the Egnatian Way. It also boasted of verdant farmlands to the north and sat on one of the busiest seaports in [...]
Government: Where’s My Allegiance?
We live in an age in America (or many other places, for that matter) where unbridled criticism of the government is the norm. If our candidate or party is not in office, we feel free to cast aspersions. Whether or not the criticism is warranted, we must ask the question, “As Christians, what is to [...]
Genesis 1-11 The End of an Age
As we come to the conclusion of the first section in our “Genesis: Starting for Home” series, we arrive at another genealogy. Like the other genealogies we’ve encountered in Genesis, this one is also of great significance, as it traces the righteous line of Shem down through the generations to the birth of Abram, who [...]
The Tower of TragIrony
“The Tower of TragIrony”: When we come to the Tower of Babel account in Genesis 11:1-9, we are astounded by the simplicity, compactness, and depth of the story. Unfortunately, along with the Fall and the Flood, this incredible tragedy is relegated to the nursery and stories simply for children. What is God telling us in [...]