Faith Forward
June 1, 2013 § 4 Comments
Last night I again had the privilege of addressing the graduating class at Trinitas Christian School. I had been asked to speak about, simply, faith. Here is the text of what I shared.
Tonight I am talking to you about faith. Not faith in general—but the faith that is the foundation of our living, moving and being. It is the faith that Paul speaks about in two passages. The first is Hebrews 11:1-3:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3) « Read the rest of this entry »Act like men
May 19, 2013 § 1 Comment
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
What is a man? For millennia humans have sought to answer that question, drawing both from what seems obvious to them from nature because of the physical make-up of males versus females as well as from the influences of individual cultures, philosophy and religion.
The image of masculinity in America has almost always been one of the rugged individual, though modern feminism has sought (sometimes, I fear, literally) to emasculate that image. A few years ago a funny phenomenon developed that I think says a lot about the American view of masculinity: Chuck Norris jokes.
- Some people can juggle chainsaws; Chuck Norris can juggle people juggling chainsaws.
- Fear of spiders is called arachnophobia; fear of tight spaces is called claustrophobia; fear of Chuck Norris is called “Logic.”
- Chuck Norris has a grizzly bear carpet in his room. The bear isn’t dead; it is just afraid to move.
- Ghosts sit around the campfire and tell Chuck Norris stories. « Read the rest of this entry »
Likability or Respect?
October 22, 2012 § Leave a comment
Several folks commented on the following section of my sermon yesterday on Hebrews13:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 13, “Make Your Leaders’ Work a Joy!” I thought I would post it.
God calls his sheep to follow their shepherds by offering them due respect (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13)
Verse 12 begins, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord….”; Paul continues with the same idea in verse 13, urging them “to esteem them very highly.” This is where faithful following begins—with respect. Nothing quenches the spirit of willing cooperation more than a lack of respect for those called to lead. « Read the rest of this entry »
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