Matthew 5:43-48 “Love Your Enemies?”

It’s right there in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus calls us to love our enemies because God loves God’s enemies. Jesus further states that as we love our enemies, we become children of God. The Greek actually says we shall become “sons of God.” Jesus’ Jewish culture had not… Continue reading

Mark 10:28-31 “Demonstration Plots of the Kingdom of God”

During the Great Depression and World War II, the U. S. government had a program designed to teach farmers and households more efficient and productive ways of farming and gardening. Most of the population back then was rural, and the survival of many families depended on their ability to produce… Continue reading

Romans 4:16-25 “Hope Has Two Sisters”

There can be little doubt that we live in an age of fear, despair, and cynicism. Beneath the bravado of the “Make America Great” movement led by an unscrupulous demagogue, the convenient denial of the suffering and evil in much of the world, and the fleeting happiness of contemporary Epicureans… Continue reading

John 21:1-18 “When All Else is Prologue”

The great 20th century theologian Paul Tillich once said that in its infancy, Christianity had only one real rival, and that was the spirit of stoicism. There were many other competing religions, but only one real rival—a rival and threat that has stayed with the church for two thousand years…. Continue reading

Saved by Hope

The great Christian ethicist and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr once said, “Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope.” As we enter this season of Easter we might benefit from reflecting on these words. During the latter portion of the nineteenth century there was… Continue reading

Revelation 1:4 “Watch Your Verbs!”

“Grace and peace to you from the God who is, who was, and who is coming.”  John begins his letter to the churches of Asia Minor with this powerful and meaning-packed greeting.  And he has chosen his words very carefully, for John, more than any other writer of the New… Continue reading

Romans 8:18-25 “What Do We Mean by Hope?”

In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul says that three abide: faith, hope, and love. Perhaps few words are as precious to us as followers of Jesus as these three terms.  But what do they mean? Even these wonderful words have been distorted in our culture and unfortunately by some Christians over… Continue reading