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Words are powerful. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” simply is not true. In our polarized culture, words become weapons. We may even be unaware of how certain words and phrases can be full of connotations, sometimes totally unintended by the speaker. And when words are used in monologues, instead of dialogues, it is far easier to be offensive (or be offended) prematurely or carelessly. ... Keep Reading

For the last month, I have been on a writing sabbatical. This is the first such sabbatical I have ever had in my ministry career. I am thankful for the time that was afforded to me so that I could focus on my doctor of ministry dissertation. I want to share with you, my church family, about my time. In my dissertation, I am writing about the need for leadership development at Oak Hills. I completed revisions of chapter one in April, before my sabbatical began. Chapter two, diving into the biblical rationale and direction for leadership development, consumed the bulk of my time during the sabbatical. As one would expect, for a doctoral dissertation there is a level of scholarship required in the analysis of biblical texts. I call it the slow slog. For each passage I analyzed, I engaged 15-20 different technical resources. Then I worked slowly through writing my analysis of the biblical texts, incorporating and interacting with the various viewpoints of the scholars. ... Keep Reading

Guest Article by Bill Burns Back in early March, I’d just begun to teach a new class for Adult Christian Education on Eschatology, which is just a fancy, three-dollar word for “Last Things.” I find that ironic, as it was the last thing I did, on the last Sunday we worshipped as a church face to face before going to online-only. Since then, uncertainty has been, as it were, on our doorsteps. Lately I’ve thought a lot about just how much this whole business parallels the Christian message at its very core. Let me explain. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And then God made…us.... Keep Reading

Guest article by AJ Harbison, Director of Worship Music Something I’ve heard repeatedly from my friends throughout the pandemic is that they are experiencing an overwhelming range of emotions. I’ve felt the same way. We can feel grief, and fear, and relief, and anger, and anxiety, and even joy, in successive days, successive hours or even all at the same time. Into this confusion and these feelings of being overwhelmed, our God gives us the gift of the book of Psalms. He knows what we need, and in his goodness and grace he provides for us. Psalms is one of God’s answers to the pandemic and to any crisis we face in our lives, because the psalms span the full spectrum of human emotion. Consider how varied the opening lines of Psalms 5 through 10 are: “Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.” (Psalm 5:1) “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” (Psalm 6:1) “O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge.” (Psalm 7:1) “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1) “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1) “Why, O LORD, do you stand afar off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1) The Psalms are a gift, especially right now, because they 1) help us to express our emotions to God and 2) provide perspective for us.... Keep Reading

It is important for Christians to have a proper theology of the church as the body of Christ. I would even argue that in a day and age when we are more physically separated than ever, it is essential that we continue to think of our relationships in the church as one of that of members of a body. What do I mean by that? In the Bible, Paul writes of the people of the church as being members of one body. That each of us are unique and essential to our local body, and that our local body is not complete without each other (Rom. 12 & 1 Cor. 12). In the body of Christ, we need each other, and we are needed by each other. If you think you don’t need others in the church, or hardly need them, you are wrong. If you think you aren’t needed by others in the church, or hardly needed by them, you are wrong. It’s that simple.... Keep Reading

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition for the word sojourn is “a temporary stay.” Thus the word sojourner refers to one who is temporarily staying somewhere. It is a word used in the Old Testament to refer to people of other nations who would live among the tribes of Israel, and as Israel and Judah were eventually exiled from the land because of the sin, to God’s people themselves. In the new testament it is used by Peter alongside the word exiles to refer to the church in this present age, post-ascension yet pre-return of Christ. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” It is clear that Peter does not believe that Christians are ever truly “home” in this life. Ed Clowney writes, “The freedom of God’s servants in this world is the freedom of aliens and transients. Those who belong to God as his people can have no abiding city here. Like Abraham, they are strangers and pilgrims, even while they live in the world which they will inherit at last” (Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter). Simply put ... Keep Reading

Throughout the centuries, followers of God and Christ have looked to the Psalms for comfort and guidance in the midst of trials. Some Psalms have come to be dearly loved and memorized. These Psalms direct our attention to the rock-solid character of God and his promises. Each week we’ll reflect on one of these Psalms, training our hearts to trust in the Lord more and more. Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Do you ever talk to yourself? Some say this may be a sign of going crazy, right? In Psalm 42 & 43, however, we have an example of God-honoring self-talk, or, as some have called it, preaching to self. The psalmist asks himself, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” It’s almost like he steps away from his body and takes an outsider’s perspective, “Why are you discouraged and in despair?” He then turns to preaching to himself, “Hope in God!” ... Keep Reading

Throughout the centuries, followers of God and Christ have looked to the Psalms for comfort and guidance in the midst of trials. Some Psalms have come to be dearly loved and memorized. These Psalms direct our attention to the rock-solid character of God and his promises. Each week we’ll reflect on one of these Psalms, training our hearts to trust in the Lord more and more. Psalm 18 1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. David writes this psalm as a celebration of the Lord’s deliverance from his enemies. It is broadly applicable because our enemies are anyone or anything that threatens our security in the covenant promises of God, that is, anything that would undermine our faith and reliance on God alone for our eternal well-being. Our enemy may be a disease, a besetting sin, a person who turns our attention from the Lord, financial distress, and more. Anything that may distract the gaze of our heart from the goodness of God is our enemy. Psalm 18 is a celebration that God can rescue us from all our enemies. Let me highlight some of what David celebrates. ... Keep Reading

Throughout the centuries, followers of God and Christ have looked to the Psalms for comfort and guidance in the midst of trials. Some Psalms have come to be dearly loved and memorized. These Psalms direct our attention to the rock-solid character of God and his promises. Each week we’ll reflect on one of these Psalms, training our hearts to trust in the Lord more and more. Psalm 139 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Psalm 139 is a very personal and intimate psalm. There is great comfort in the intimacy with which God knows us and watches over every moment of our lives. Yet, there is a fearfulness of having no privacy before an all-knowing God. I had a Bible teacher in college say that Psalm 139 reads like a lament, a complaint that there is nowhere in all of creation where we can hide from God. There is more than a complaint in this psalm, however. There are praise and delight and comfort in God’s omniscience (all-knowing). Let’s consider the four movements of Psalm 139. ... Keep Reading

Throughout the centuries, followers of God and Christ have looked to the Psalms for comfort and guidance in the midst of trials. Some Psalms have come to be dearly loved and memorized. These Psalms direct our attention to the rock-solid character of God and his promises. Each week we’ll reflect on one of these Psalms, training our hearts to trust in the Lord more and more. Psalm 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah ... Keep Reading