Romans 5:1-8:17The Gospel and the Book of Romans is a message of bad news and good news. For us to fully embrace the good news, we have to first wrestle with the reality of the bad news, which is true of our world and true of us. Paul gives us a lot of bad news in Romans 5-8. We live in a world of sin, we have committed innumerable trespasses, and what we deserve is condemnation and death. This is...  Read More

Romans 2:1-4:25 Our world loves to speak of human rights and dignity. What gives us rights or value at all? The only sure foundation for these things is an eternal God. We are not valuable because we evolved or because others say we are important, rather, God tells us that every human has dignity, value, and worth. This beautiful truth is also complemented by the fact that we are all sinners. Paul...  Read More

1 Corinthians 16:1-24; Acts 19:21-20:6; Romans 1:1-32 When was the last time you shared Jesus with someone? Paul tells us that to do so is not an optional part of the Christian life, but it is an obligation. When we encounter God's grace, our automatic response should be to share this with others and to do so without shame. We may be afraid of hurting a relationship, rocking the boat, or not knowi...  Read More

1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58 What are we trying to communicate to people when we get into a spiritual conversation with them? It can sometimes feel overwhelming to know where to start and what to share. Paul helps us by boiling things down into that which is of "first importance" in 1 Corinthians 15. We are to make our main message that Jesus died for our sins and was raised on the third day according...  Read More

1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13 Understanding our identity is critical to living well. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul claims that every believer is part of the "body of Christ." When we place our faith in Jesus we are instantly connected to his body. Paul deals with two potentially wrong ways of responding to this truth. The first is to think we are not necessary. We may feel like we have nothing to offer and...  Read More

1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1 “Why aren’t you playing pool?” I asked my father this question at a Sunday school class party where he was the teacher of the group. I could not understand why my father, who was a good pool player, did not take on the other men. He quietly shushed me and later explained that Carl, a rough-hewn man in the class, had come through life frequenting squalid pool houses and did n...  Read More

1 Corinthians 4:1-7:40 When we look into a mirror, we see an image of ourselves, but do we see ourselves rightly? Some people look into a mirror and, due to body dysmorphic disorder or negative self-esteem, are unable to see themselves accurately. Similarly, Paul is concerned the church in Corinth is filled with people who cannot see who they are. He is afraid they are filled with stunning pride t...  Read More

Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23We often interact with people who have had bad experiences in churches and, even if they have not, they have read about church scandals, issues of abuse, and foolishness that happened in churches. A few years ago, there was an article about a pastor who had berated his congregation for not helping him purchase a luxury watch he felt he deserved. Many people ...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3:18; Acts 18:4-23We may feel like the only people saying Jesus is coming back are strange people on TV holding up placards, but the truth of Christ’s return is in the message of 2 Thessalonians. The reality of Christ’s return must be believed, shared, and acknowledged. There were some in Thessalonica who thought they had missed Jesus' return, but Paul ...  Read More

Acts 17:16-18:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5:11 Thank you. This is a simple phrase with profound effects. Saying thanks not only shapes our hearts but also impacts the receiver of those words. If we are honest with ourselves, our speech is often marked far more by complaints, anger, and frustration than thanks, which in turn shapes our hearts and emotions.As Paul writes his first letter to the church in...  Read More

Acts 15:22-17:15 Paul’s ministry was focused on evangelism and discipleship. Many of his missionary journeys consisted of traveling to new cities where the gospel had never been. He would spend time in popular gathering places like synagogues and marketplaces and share Jesus with people who had never heard his name. As he traveled, he also spent time going back to cities where he had previously be...  Read More

Galatians 3:24-6:18; Acts 15:1-21 Who are you? If you are asked this question at a party, there are several different ways you could answer. You could answer with your name, your job, your hobbies, or, if you want to be weird, you could answer you are a child of God. When we place our faith in Christ, we are adopted by God and unconditionally brought with love into his family. This new family mean...  Read More