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Do you want to know God’s will for you in this craziest of crazy years? Paul simply states God’s will for you in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Wait… “in all circumstances”?!? Paul certainly did not have 2020 in mind when he wrote this, right? Of course, Paul was not thinking about 2020, or any other crazy year in the past 2,000 years. But God had all these years, and circumstances, in mind when he directed Paul to write this command. God’s will for us this year is to give thanks in all circumstances, no matter how hard, challenging, or disappointing those circumstances are. One of the reasons God desires for us to give thanks in all circumstances is that the lack of gratitude is dangerous. In describing the downward spiral of depravity and rejecting God in Romans 1, Paul says it starts with not honoring God as God nor giving thanks to him (Rom. 1:21). The lack of gratitude leads to the rejection of God. So, for what can we give thanks in “all circumstances”? What is good enough, sufficient, to captivate our attention in the midst of the most difficult circumstances so that we have reason to give thanks? Let’s let Scripture answer that question.... Keep Reading

John’s gospel is chock-full of glorious promises. Ponder some of these: “the right to become children of God” 1:12 “should not perish but have eternal life” 3:16 “will never be thirsty again” 4:14 “has passed from death to life” 5:24 “shall not hunger…shall never thirst” 6:35 “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” 7:38 “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” 8:12 We could keep going, but this suffices to illustrate how wonderful the promise of the Gospel is. Whoever believes in Jesus, receives him, follows him, will “have life and have it abundantly” (10:10). Perhaps you feel, at times, a dissonance when you hear such glorious promises. You believe in Jesus and you long for the promises, but you see in your own life and in the world emptiness and disappointment. Why is this? Are the promises of Jesus empty? Are they too good to be true? ... Keep Reading

When the scribes and Pharisees caught an adulterous woman, they wanted Jesus to condemn her to death. Jesus says to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Without undermining God’s holiness nor the intention of the law, Jesus confronts the sinful attitude of condemnation. At this point, some may say, “Wait! What about confronting someone in their sin? We can’t just let sin run rampant, can we?” This person would be correct. As much as condemnation has no place among Christians, so also condonation has no place among Christians. We do not condemn; but we also do not condone. So, what’s the path forward? ... Keep Reading

This Sunday we come to a text in the Gospel of John whose authenticity has been questioned. Your Bible probably has a statement when you come to John 7:53 like, “The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11.” This is the account, well-loved by many, of the woman caught in adultery. What does this statement mean and how does it impact how we consider this portion of John’s Gospel? Let me begin with a brief primer on textual criticism. Textual Criticism is the science of analyzing manuscript copies of ancient texts in order to discern what the original manuscript said and what may be variants from the original. For most ancient texts (e.g. Iliad by Homer), we do not have the author’s original manuscript; we have only copies. This is true for all of the books of the Bible. Between many of the copies, there are minor, and sometimes major, variants in the text. Brandon Crowe, professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, explains what textual criticism means for the Bible: “[It] means thinking critically about manuscripts and variations in the biblical texts found in those manuscripts, in order to identify the original reading of the Bible.” What criteria does a textual critic use to “identify the original reading of the Bible”? There are both internal and external criteria used in the process. Internally, textual critics look at vocabulary and grammatical structures. They look for consistency with other portions of the author’s writings. Externally, textual critics look for both historical and geographical attestation to a reading. Just like the game Telephone, copies of the original are subject to more variations the farther (timewise) they are from the original. So older copies are more trustworthy. Geographically, a reading is more trustworthy if multiple locations producing copies agree on the reading.... Keep Reading

Jesus makes one of the most beautiful invitations of the Gospels in John 7:37. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” This invitation is comparable to Jesus’ in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus appeals to the “thirsty” and the “heavy laden” to come to him. These invitations are sweet and savored by those who are well acquainted with their thirst and burdens. We have to ask, therefore, what does Jesus mean by “thirsts”? On a natural level, we understand what it means to thirst. One day while on vacation, my family did some hiking in Joshua Tree National Park. As we approached the park, we were confronted with many signs warning that there was no drinking water in the park; we needed to have all the water for our day with us. We stopped and purchased water bottles, at extorted prices, before entering. We were thankful, though, as a long day hiking in the hot sun left us thirsty. Our bodies felt the need for water. ... Keep Reading

Every year, I preach several sermons in January on the means of grace. The means of grace are God’s appointed avenues to bring his grace into our lives. The primary means of grace are God’s word (preached, memorized, studied, meditated upon, etc.), prayer, and the sacraments. Question 85 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism clarifies why the means of grace are so important. It asks and answers: What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin? To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption. We are saved by faith, but our faith is never alone. We are called to make “diligent use” of the means of grace. These feed our faith. And, by these means, God passes along “to us the benefits of redemption,” like peace, hope, reconciliation, comfort, power, etc. The means of grace are the gateway God gives to us to enjoy all that he has for us in Jesus. ... Keep Reading

I don’t like election seasons. The rhetoric is filled with everything that Paul calls believers to put away: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice (Eph. 4:31). Political tensions seem to be a breeding ground for the works of the flesh: rivalries, dissensions, divisions (Gal. 5:19-20). Even Christians seem to forget that we are called to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). And then there is the anxiety that is enflamed by the rhetoric we hear around the election. That which is a blessing to our nation, the process of democracy, becomes a source of turmoil. In spite of the fact that I dislike the election season, I do plan to vote, and I encourage you to vote. We have the privilege to use our votes to allow biblical values to shape and influence our nation, even if we find ourselves increasingly in the minority. As you go to the voting booth, let me encourage you to keep in mind the following: ... Keep Reading

For the last two Sundays we have been studying Jesus’ “I am the bread of life” sermon. So much is richly packed into this passage. One of the truths that we highlighted was the necessity of God’s grace for our salvation. We are saved by grace alone. While the word “grace” does not appear in John 6, the truth is emphasized in three verses: Verse 37: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. Verse 44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. Verse 65: And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” How do these verses emphasize grace? A definition of grace is helpful. John Frame defines God’s grace as “his sovereign, unmerited favor, given to those who deserve his wrath.” There are four components to grace in this definition. Let me explain each as we see them in John 6. ... Keep Reading

What do you look forward to? I remember as a kid looking forward to Saturday morning cartoons. As I grew up, I looked forward to getting my driver’s license, going to college, and getting married. We all have events, holidays, and things that we look forward to. These things give us hope so that we can endure trial or hardship in the present. Did you know that it is a core character quality of Christians to look forward? Christians are to be people looking forward to the return of Christ. This longing ought to shape how we live today and what we value as important and how we endure hardship. The apostle Paul celebrates the conversion of the Thessalonians by highlighting their longing for Christ’s return. In 1 Thessalonians 1 he commends, “How you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven” (v. 9-10). New values and longings of the heart turned these idol worshippers into people who wait for Jesus. Are you marked by a waiting for Jesus?... Keep Reading

Do you like to grumble? I can’t say I like to grumble, but I do find it easy to grumble. I grumble about the traffic. I grumble when my kids do not do what I want. I grumble when the computer boots too slowly. And I grumble about more significant matters. I grumble almost on a daily basis. Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Ouch! As with every sin, we must understand the root in order to fight against it. The root of grumbling is blindness to God’s grace. ... Keep Reading