One of my favorite stories from the Gospels is when Jesus calms the storm while on the boat with his disciples on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35–41). The storm is raging on and his disciples are panicking. As experienced fishermen who have certainly...
Until Jesus returns, there will always be evil and hatred in the world. This is the human condition. People will always have bitterness and hatred in their hearts as long as the world separates itself from the healing love of God. The absence of...
I’m on vacation (Outer Banks, NC). So here’s a great devo from the classically dependent Oswald Chambers. Judge not, that ye be not judged. –Matthew 7:1. Jesus says regarding judging—Don’t. The average Christian is the most penetratingly...
Forgiveness (and forgivingness) is at the heart of the gospel. We can only truly love when we accept forgiveness. Forgiveness releases in us the capacity to be free from condemnation to be given over the reckless love. All throughout the gospel...
Jesus used a number of pedagogical methods for teaching his disciples (and the crowds). At times, he went into theological discourse (John 3, with Nicodemus), other times he used parables. There were even times still he taught using “act...
One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith that I struggle with is strength through weakness. I do not struggle with believing it to be true, I struggle with putting it into application on a day-to-day basis. What does this look like in the daily...
The moment of the cross is not only the moment of penal substation.The cross is (among many things) also the moment of covenant fulfillment and creation. Through Jesus’ death God both fulfills his covenant promises to Abraham and even begins a...
Yesterday was Palm Sunday. We decided to visit a dear friend’s church in rural Haiti (Grisen-Garde, outside of Cap-Haitian). It was one of the rare Sundays that I wasn’t supposed to preach (ah, finally a respite). But before we walked into the...
Take time to watch this video in which N.T. Wright brings together the Kingdom and Cross.
It’s risky business to talk about the cross in ways that mainstream protestant-evangelicals aren’t used to. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I do this quite often. There are several dimensions of the cross and salvation (soteriology and...