This blog is Pastor Jay's weekly musings about God's Word, God's world, and God's call to our culture. We hope they encourage, challenge, and inform you. Sign up to recieve them in your email.
Last week I began this blog series by describing three different categories of spiritual fruit. First is the general category that primarily speaks to the nature of spiritual fruit. Second is a specific category of spiritual fruit that is internal to the believer and primarily connected to the believer's own life. Third is the specific category of spiritual fruit that is...
Keep ReadingI am fascinated by fruit. Sometimes I catch myself staring at an apple. In my hand is a perfectly portioned meal, containing wonderful nutrients, sealed in its own protective skin, carrying seeds for propagation, and to top it off it is delightfully tasty. What a wonderful gift God has designed for us. But even more wonderful is spiritual fruit. I have been thinking a lo...
Keep ReadingThis whole world is one giant commercial that is constantly offering you something you don't have. If you only get this, whatever it is, you will have protection, joy, satisfaction, stability, etc. Those who are envied are those who have this thing(s). Or if it is not a single thing, the fulfilled life is found in a "dream" that each individual is to pursue and find thei...
Keep ReadingWe all love a weird fact. For instance, camels have three eyelids. Crazy, huh? Our world is so diverse that every day we can be surprised by some unexpected reality. There are things like that in the theological world as well. There are so many diverse, yet unified, truths in scripture that there are realities we initially don't expect. Two of these surprising realities...
Keep ReadingThis list of issues and questions was compiled in preparation for a meeting with a Jehovah Witness, and it proved very useful. 1) Is Jesus equal to God? a. John 5: 18 Jesus made himself equal with God in what he said. The Pharisees realized this and reacted accordingly. The same thing happened again in Jn. 10:33 and there Jesus defends it. b. Mark 2:7 Jesus did not re...
Keep ReadingWhy didn't God have the video recorder invented before the time of Christ so that we all could see the life of Christ and not just read about it? Before I attempt an answer, let me set the stage for the question. As I preach through the gospel of Matthew, we have begun to watch Jesus in action. In chapter 4, Matthew presents Jesus as the King who steps onto the scene on...
Keep ReadingWe always like to bash on those silly Israelites and those bone-headed Apostles. Their mistakes and failings are legendary. One of these moments of breathtaking contradiction happened during the last supper. Two verses stand side-by-side, shocking everybody except those involved. Read both of these verses again, and stand amazed that they are next to one another. Luke ...
Keep ReadingLast week I preached a message on what it means "to have a relationship with God." While we hear that phrase frequently, it really is a stunning thought. My message was from Psalm 21 and it dealt primarily with how God maintains His relationship with us. What I didn't deal with was the whole idea of communication. Communication stands at the heart of every relationship. ...
Keep ReadingThis blog post was too good to pass up. If you are not doing several of these at work, you need to do some heart probing to find out why. Posted by Pastor J.D. Greer on August 10, 2014 I mentioned in this weekend's sermon that the Apostle Paul lived in such a way that he provoked a question. Peter said it this way: "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always ...
Keep ReadingPeople. Oh, the complexities that come with people. There are so many personalities, so many backgrounds, so many ways we sin against one another. Challenges and perils aside, God calls us to love people and pour out our lives for them. So let's say you want to do better at loving people. You know this is the second greatest commandment, so it isn't effort that will be ...
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