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This Sunday at Oak Hills in our sermon series on Genesis we come to chapter 3, the well-known account of the Fall of man. For many who have grown up in the church, this story is familiar, and, maybe, even uninteresting. And yet, it is foundational to our understanding of humanity, the brokenness of the world, God’s justice and grace, and, ultimately, salvation. As we begin several sermons on Genesis 3, I want to answer the question: why should I care to know more about sin and the origins of sin? Pastor and theologian Mark Jones wrote a book titled, “Knowing Sin: Seeing a Neglected Doctrine through the Eyes of the Puritans.” He opens by saying, “Other than knowing God, your greatest advocate, nothing else in this world is more important than knowing sin, your greatest enemy… Christians should know that a proper understanding of grace requires a thorough grasp of sin. A distorted, weak view of sin will lead to a disfigured, anemic, and unproductive theology” (p. 13). Taking the queue from Mark Jones, let me highlight four benefits from studying sin. The Study of Sin Deepens Our Humility. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” And Isaiah 64:6 says, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Growing in our understanding of how sin works and how sin is destructive brings us to our knees. When we think too little of our sin, we tend to think too highly of ourselves. This leads to all sorts of trouble: self-reliance, denial of God, self-righteousness, arrogance towards others, and more. The old Proverbs is essential to keep in mind as we study sin, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5; cf. Prov. 3:34). Mark Jones applies this principle in saying, “My sin is my biggest problem, because it is my sin. I must hate it and deal with it if I would ever properly address the sin of others in true grace” (p. 79). ... Keep Reading

This article is a more personal article for the church family of Oak Hills. I want to let my church family know that I have requested of the elders a sabbatical for this summer. The elders have approved my request with the plans I presented. I want to share those plans with you. First, let me answer the question, “Why?” Why did I request a sabbatical? Or why should a pastor take a sabbatical? This August marks my thirteen-year anniversary of serving Oak Hills as her pastor. These years have been filled with my ups and downs, highs and lows. It is widely known that pastoral ministry is one of the most taxing and stressful callings to fill. The hours are long and irregular. The tasks are far beyond any human ability to fulfill. The cares and needs of people weigh on one’s heart. Throw in a pandemic and growing political turmoil, and these past few years have been even more challenging. Through all these circumstances, however, God has been gracious to me. I know many of you pray for me on a regular basis. God has used your prayers to sustain me. While it is only by God’s grace that one can serve any length of time in pastoral ministry, it is wise and beneficial for a pastor to take periodic, extended periods of time away from regular pastoral duties for personal growth, reenergizing, and refocusing. Such time away only strengthens a pastor’s walk with the Lord and his ministry with the church. Like many churches, we have a sabbatical policy that allows our pastors to request a sabbatical once every seven years. I began to put a sabbatical request into action early in 2020. And then the pandemic hit. I did take a few weeks that year to work on my doctoral dissertation, but a true, full sabbatical was not an option during that crisis. Now, with Pastor John fully settled in his ministry at Oak Hills, this seems like an appropriate time to request this sabbatical. ... Keep Reading

This is the nineth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. Throughout this series we have been considering Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching on money. While money tends to be a very private matter for most people, both Jesus and Paul speak very directly about money. They emphasize the same principles: 1. Money can easily become the treasure of one’s heart because of the false promises of satisfaction; 2. When money becomes the treasure of one’s heart, it is poisonous to one’s relationship with God; 3. Treasuring God is the antidote to the poison of loving money, as God is the only one who truly satisfies the longings of the heart; 4. Giving away money is not only an indicator of a new heart treasure, but also is a means to wean the heart from loving money; and 5. God promises reward for being generous. Let’s conclude this series by asking how, then, shall we give? We all appreciate practical pointers to help us put into practice biblical principles. The apostle Paul gives the most direct instruction about giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” There are three practices to glean from these verses. ... Keep Reading

This is the eighth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. We have moved on from what Jesus teaches about money and wealth to the apostle Paul…sort of. Last week we looked at Paul’s teaching on the “love of money” in 1 Timothy 6. Paul reinforces what Jesus taught in the Gospels: 1. Money easily becomes a treasure of the heart (“love of money”); 2. Money as treasure is poisonous to one’s relationship with God (“root of evil”); 3. The antidote is treasuring God above money and all things (“hope in God”); 4. Giving away money is not only an indicator of a new heart treasure, but also is a means to wean the heart from loving money; 5. Thus, reward for being generous is promised. In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul expands this teaching on giving even further. For Paul, giving is not optional or even second-tier Christian living, but essential to the Christian faith. Let’s start by considering how Paul broaches the subject in 2 Corinthians 8. ... Keep Reading

This is the seventh in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. Even in the 1st century, money was a big deal. The wealth and convenience we enjoy in 21st century America, however, by far outweighs the wealth enjoyed in the 1st century. That’s why Jesus’ perspective and teaching on money and wealth is all the more important for our spiritual health in relationship with God. We need to heed his warnings about the poisonous treasuring of money. The apostle Paul reinforces Jesus’ teaching on wealth in his first letter to Timothy. Perhaps you are even familiar with Paul’s famous saying in 6:10, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Many are quick to point out that it is the love of money that is the root of evil, not money itself, perhaps seeking to assuage any conviction about having wealth. What does Paul mean by the love of money and how does his teaching compare with Jesus’? The love of money is the opposite of contentment. In 1 Timothy 6 Paul is commending contentment as a companion to godliness: “godliness with contentment is great gain…if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (v. 6, 8). Then he contrasts contentment with the “desire to be rich” (v. 9). This desire is harmful and destructive. Why? Because it strikes at the very heart of our being. Wealth becomes the treasure of the heart. That’s what Paul means by “the love of money.” This is on par with Jesus’ teaching that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). ... Keep Reading

This is the sixth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. So far, in our reflections about money, we have considered primarily Jesus’ attitude or perspective about money. 1. Money has the power to become a consuming, idolatrous treasure of the heart; 2. As such it is poisonous to one’s relationship with God; 3. Therefore, when one comes to find God as the greater treasure, one’s attitude toward money changes; 4. In the end, money becomes a tool to magnify the worth of God. How does Jesus commend money as a tool to magnify the worth of God? By giving it away! One of the prominent commands of Jesus regarding our money and wealth is the command to give it away. He commanded the rich young ruler to give his wealth away (Matt. 19:21). In another context, Jesus gives the same command to all his disciples: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy” (Lk. 12:33). Not only does Jesus command that we give away wealth, but he also commends those who do. Zacchaeus was commended for committing to give away his wealth (Lk. 19:8-9). But it wasn’t only those who were wealthy that Jesus commends. Consider this story of a poor widow: ... Keep Reading

This is the fifth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. In Reformed circles we don’t like to talk much about rewards in the Christian life. The word “reward” conjures up ideas of merit and works and seems to be the opposite of grace. And yet, the Gospels are saturated with Jesus speaking about reward. Here’s a sampling: Commanded to lay up treasure in heaven (i.e. reward): Matthew 6:20, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” Commanded to sell possession to have treasure in heaven (i.e. reward): Matthew 19:21, “sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Promise of reward in heaven for sacrifice: Matthew 19:29, “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” Reward is secured by kind acts: Matthew 10:42, “whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." ... Keep Reading

This is the fourth in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. One of the most difficult parables of Jesus to make sense of is the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-9. Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man who discovers that his property manager (whatever form the “property” took) was “wasting his possessions” (v. 1). Upon learning of his imminent termination, this manager shrewdly refinances the accounts of several of his master’s debtors (perhaps reducing the interest rate or limiting his own commission). The master then commends the manager for his shrewdness. How does this example of a corrupt, manipulative manager apply to the followers of Christ? Let’s look at Jesus’ application in verses 8-9: ... Keep Reading

This is the third in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude toward the use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. In our first two weeks of considering what Jesus teaches about money and wealth we saw that Jesus warns about the power money holds as a satisfying treasure. As such, money becomes poisonous to our spiritual well-being by cultivating our prideful self-reliance (“it’s my money!”) and a delight in this lesser pleasure. Perhaps, after this initial survey, you may be wondering if Jesus has any positive perspectives on money. Let’s take a couple of weeks to consider how Jesus understands money as a tool to maximize our delight in God as our superior treasure. Last week we looked at the story of the rich young ruler walking away from Christ sorrowful. His sorrow was evidence that his heart was poisoned by the power money has as a satisfying treasure. Let’s look at another story of a rich man in the gospels: Zacchaeus. Many of us are familiar with this popular Sunday school story of a “wee little man” in Luke 19:1-10. Let me contrast Jesus’ concluding remarks to these two encounters with rich men.... Keep Reading

This is the second in a series of reflections on Jesus’ teaching about money and wealth in the Gospels. Randy Alcorn, writing in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, says, “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined” (p. 9). How does Jesus want us to think about money? How does the Gospel affect our attitude and use of money? Join me on this multi-week exploration of what Jesus teaches about money. Last week, we began our exploration of Jesus’ teaching on money by considering his understanding that money easily becomes a treasure of the heart. We will never understand Jesus’ warnings and instructions about money unless we understand the power money holds as a satisfying treasure. This leads us to our second observation from Jesus’ teaching. Money, as a treasure of the heart, is poison. We see this most clearly in Matthew 19 where Jesus interacts with a rich young man. The young man is a seeker of eternal life (v. 16). With his understanding of the power of money as a treasure, and with his ability to discern the human heart, Jesus confronts the young man’s idolatry of money. Their interaction concludes with, “The young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (v. 22). This leads Jesus to make one of his most astonishing statements in all of the gospels about money and wealth: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (v. 24)... Keep Reading