O Father, at Calvary’s cross, Your grace removes my burdens and heaps them on your Son, who is made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me. There Christ was all anguish that I might have joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed … Continue reading A Prayer for Good Friday
Maundy Thursday and the Mark of a Christian
The Mark of the Christian (John 13:31-38) The text upon which this teaching outline is based is normally assigned to Maundy Thursday. The Latin word for commandment is mandatum. This commandment that Jesus gave was the old commandment with which Moses himself summarized the whole law, but Jesus made it new by highlighting three things: … Continue reading Maundy Thursday and the Mark of a Christian
Reflections for Palm Sunday Worship
No word in my vocabulary expressed deeper hatred than the word interference. And the Bible placed at the center what seemed to me a Transcendental Interferer. — C.S. Lewis Glorious as Jesus is in Himself, as a conqueror over death, and hell, and the grave, the Son of God is still ‘meek and lowly of … Continue reading Reflections for Palm Sunday Worship
Palm Sunday and the Transcendental Interferer
When C.S. Lewis came to faith, he wasn't happy at all because the first thing that happened to him was the realization that God was God and that he was not. Jesus Christ was a transcendental interferer, barging into Lewis' life and saying, "You're not God, I am." In his own words, he describes his … Continue reading Palm Sunday and the Transcendental Interferer
A Well-Ordered Heart
“What does it mean to have a well-ordered heart?” To have a well-ordered heart “is to love the right thing to the right degree in the right way with the right kind of love.” Christopher Hall, Living Wisely with the Church Fathers (p. 221). Westmont, IL: IVP Academic. Quoting John Ortberg in the book The … Continue reading A Well-Ordered Heart
What Can You Do In Times of Trouble?
In the world we often experience times of trouble. Unwanted change avalanches upon us. Trials come, and we find ourselves in a place we don't like to be - NEEDY. King David did as well. Our natural response is to fret, worry, become fearful, angry, resentful, and controlling. Inn Psalm 9, King David counters these … Continue reading What Can You Do In Times of Trouble?
In Anxious Times…
Remember the birds and the lilies. Dr. Helmut Thielicke preached a course of sermons on the Sermon on the Mount in St Mark’s Church, Stuttgart, during the terrible years (1946–1948) which immediately followed World War II. He often alluded to the scream of the air-raid sirens, alerting people to yet more devastation and death from … Continue reading In Anxious Times…
Beginning a New Year Well
One of the best ways that you can begin your new year. I would encourage you to reflect upon and pray through this covenant that John Wesley wrote. Back in the olden days, the Methodists would have a service where the entire congregation would renew their vow to live faithfully for the Lord in the … Continue reading Beginning a New Year Well
The Legacy of Rose Vaught – My Great-Grandmother
by Elizabeth Cain Johnson, the great-granddaughter of Rose Vaught. This tribute was written back in 2005 when Elizabeth as in high school. My great-grandmother possessed energy, strength, and a keen recollection. Rose or Rosie, as everyone affectionately called her, lived a long life of 93 years, and died peacefully in her home in Bladenboro, North … Continue reading The Legacy of Rose Vaught – My Great-Grandmother
Praying Scripture | 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
At the beginning of 2023, I am beginning a sermon series on "What Matters Most." The first thing that matters most is that we possess true, saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the below passage, the possession of true, saving faith in Jesus not only transforms our ultimate destiny but also how … Continue reading Praying Scripture | 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
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