The way Luke introduces John the Baptist has a familiar ring:“The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Lk. 3:2)For example: “The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri” or...

1 Corinthians 8:1-6  It’s not one of my favorites, but this time something happened- it was like I saw a glint of light sparkle from one of the verses• so I started digging at it◦ I took my investigation as f...

 Reading the stories of Jesus,Have you ever wished you could hear the tone of his voice?- for instance, I imagine a note of disappointment or sadness when says,“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,...

For some theologians and many believers,Paul’s letter to the Romans is the heart of the Christian faith- but what they see as the central message isn’t my favorite part• chapter 8 and this chapter speak directly to our need• ...

Do you have a favorite psalm; for instance, Psalm 23?Whether one psalm speaks to me and another one doesn’t,- depends a lot on my mood at the time I read them• the Psalms are moody, and some of them match my mood perfectly• w...

Jesus crossed an international border looking for restMatthew says, he “went away” and “withdrew”- he needed space where he was free from the desperate crowds• care givers have to be careful to care for themselves• otherwise ...

My grandchildren have been helping me with social media, by interpreting a slew of new acronymsAcronyms are abbreviations for phrases, titles, or names, using only the first letters of each word- for instance, USA, BTW, or RFK• a...

We’re nearing the end of Jesus’ SermonI think we must admit, there have been surprises along the way- but it has been a journey of wonder, skirting the edges of the kingdom of God• at the same time, the Lord has exposed us, to tr...

Before we explore what Jesus is saying in these verses,There are three issues that need to be addressedFirst:- belonging to a church family can sometimes be devastating• I’ve met people whose first real family was their churc...

Every Easter, until COVID, my dad would host a Sunrise Service(First at the Pacific Amphitheater and later the Verizon Amphitheater)And most every year he would tell the same story; this one about Mary Magdalene  - you might ex...

John 12:1-8INTRO: I know this is Palm Sunday and I read the wrong storyHowever, this is like an introduction to this big occasion, because   Jesus came to stay in the home of his friends the day befo...

You may hear something today you haven’t heard beforeSo I’m going to try to make this as clear as possible- we need to consider the larger context that surrounds and informs verses 12-14• not only the context of this chapter, but...

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened Matthew 7:7-8Intr...

Judge not, that yo be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measured you use it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2Intro: Until recently, whenever I came to this chapte...

Did you know, many Christians avoid the Sermon On the Mount?The problem is that they misread the Sermon- they think Jesus demands a perfection that is beyond us• what actually happens in the Sermon is that it empowers us◦ we ...

Jesus is explaining and extending what he had said in verse 21“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”In scripture, the heart can have several meanings- here, it isn’t the physical organ that pumps blo...

We’re still in the Sermon On the Mount,But I’m going to begin by reading a of couple verses from Psalm 139- this is one of the very popular Psalms• its beautiful and haunting poetry are easy for us to follow◦ and at the same ...

This week I met with Harry Robinson – a few of you may know himHe is a man of God and a visionary, and for awhile we worked together- he is also someone I love and respect• during our long, rambling conversation, Harry said somet...

Jesus has given the world this incredible prayerRecited every day and prayed in almost every language,- it contains the essence of what everyone needs to say to God and ask of him• and yet, when Jesus taught this prayer to his di...

The next point of Jesus’ sermon has to do with prayerI don’t think you need me to teach you anything about prayer- one year in Russia, an orphan tried to teach me the alphabet• but she gave up on me – there was just one letter, I...

 Peter and Andrew were knee-deep in Lake Galilee. A school of fish swam near shore, so they threw a net into water, dragging out whatever it collected. Jesus, walking the shore that morning, stopped and called to them. When they turned and...

Today we reach the end of this second part of the SermonBut not until Jesus takes us all the way to end of the trail we’re on- we've been following a theme that began with Jesus saying,Do not think that I have come to abolish...

There’s a fateful story in the Bible that begins like this:It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was...

You know the directory in the mall, with the little star that reads, “You are here”?Well, let's figure out where we are in Jesus' Sermon- we’ve been through the Beatitudes • we've made the transition from Jesus’ closing remarks t...

 Approaching 2025, I found myself struggling with hope for the new year- I think of myself as an optimist• for instance, Divorce equals two Christmases and two birthdays- but today's world looks grim• vicious election cycle...