Category Archives: religion

On Wisdom and Foolishness

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A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.  -Prov 18:6

Earlier this week I indicated that this Proverb was my new favorite Bible verse.  But what is the purpose of such verses in Proverbs?  I have a good friend that is well studied in the scriptures that still has problems with the book of Proverbs.  Proverbs falls into what we call wisdom literature.  The book is a collection of Solomon’s wisdom, basically good advice he wants to leave his children, but the question is how does it fit into the gospel?  Consider these two scriptures:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.  -Psalm 14:1

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:  Proverbs 1:7

Continue reading →

Defecting to Faith

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stain glass crossFirst, let me say that I’ve been reading several different blogs listed at SBC Voices, and will soon be adding some of those to my blogroll.  A button for SBC Voices appears in the sidebar if you would like to check it out; I’ve been introduced to some really good blogs over there including Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee, who shares the story below.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, often quoted by atheists to show how quickly religion is failing, children raised in non-religious homes tend not to stay that way.  The New York Times calls the situation “defecting to faith,” and reports that over half of those raised with no religious affiliation will choose one in adulthood.  Only 13 or 14 percent of those raised in Christian homes will defect.  And although atheism has large numbers of “converts” each year, it also has one of the lowest retention rates. 

Link to Kevin’s article here, with more stats and links.

Mother’s Day Sermon

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mothersAs I began preparing to preach on Mother’s Day, I searched the internet just to see what other preachers would be doing that day.  What I ended up reading instead was a blogpost and comment thread about how most woman are unhappy with the Mother’s Day sermons they’ve heard in the past.  Some felt the day should not be celebrated in church at all, while others thought the church should recognize mothers in some way and then the pastor should preach his message.  More than a couple of commenters said that whatever text he was using, what they wanted to hear preached was the gospel!  Amen to that.  The general consensus was that too often the Mother’s Day sermon comes off as “light” and that wasn’t what the church needed.  Continue reading →

Our Call to Discipleship

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studyingAt the end of Matthew’s Gospel (28:16-20) Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission.  In Mark’s account (16:15), Jesus commands the disciples to “preach the gospel to all creation.”  This was the first verse I ever memorized as a child.  In the King James it reads “to every creature.”  The wording in Matthew is a little different.  We’re not just to preach the gospel, we are to make disciples.  What’s the difference?  Continue reading →

A Letter to the President

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Tom Foreman is a correspondent on Anderson Cooper 360.  I actually read through his letter the first time thinking that it was written by Anderson Cooper, and although it’s not, it is written by one of his guys and displayed by CNN on their website.  Foreman has been writing President Obama a letter each week since he took office.  Here is a sample of his latest offering, in reference to Christians in America, since Easter is this week:

People of faith sometimes mistake their own fist for the hand of God; non-believers sometimes mistake scientific findings for proof that God is not there. Faith by its very nature is not subject to proof one way or the other. If you had proof, it would not be faith. If you need proof, faith is far away.

And if we can learn to accept those opposing stances in each other, we’ll be a stronger nation where both the faithful and faithless can share the peace and wonders of our world…

Read the entire letter here, and tell me what you think.  Is Foreman’s take on religion in America just about right?

An Easter Sermon

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But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.   -Isaiah 53:5-7

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.    -Acts 2:22-24

In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd; and we are very much in need of a shepherd.  He is also described as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrificial lamb that takes away the sin of the world.  When we need a shepherd, he is our shepherd.  But when we need a sacrifice… Jesus is that for us too. 

Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.  He is the Lamb that was slain, but he is so much more.  In short, he is an all sufficient savior. 

Listen to the sermon Jesus, Sheep or Shepherd

Final Thoughts on Holy Week

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jesus_crossThis year for Holy Week I pointed out that Jesus died.  We all know that he was crucified, and was raised to life again, but the real miracle here is that God died.

We asked the question Jesus, sheep or shepherd? That post will be my sermon for Easter Sunday.  I’m preaching twice in the morning.

Another thought was on Jesus’ prayer from the cross.  He didn’t pray just for his followers or his family, but he prayed the prayer of intercession for the people who were crucifying  him.  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  This is the Christ that we are supposed to be like.

There are some older posts I thought about re-posting, but instead I will just link them here.  He Cannot Save Himself is a poem about the crucifixion.  It is based on the sermon I preached for Easter last year.  Feel free to copy and paste it, print it in your church bulletin, or read it outloud.

Other good topics for Holy Week are Jesus’ Examples: Washing Feet and Passover Becomes the Lord’s Supper.

Thoughts on Holy Week: Jesus’ Prayer from the Cross

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jesus_crossIn his first sermon (Mark 1) Jesus offers a simple message: “Repent and believe the gospel.”  As he hangs on the cross some 3 years later, what is Jesus doing?  We have only a handful of words spoken by Jesus during the crucifixion, but there are some powerful lessons to be shared in them.

As he hangs on the cross, he was in between two thieves.  One of them mocked Jesus, but the other asked to be remembered by him.  Jesus replied that he would be with him in paradise.  Even while dying on the cross, Jesus won a convert!

But even more amazing: Jesus said the prayer of intercession for the very people crucifying him that day. Not just of the Roman soldiers, but for those really responsible, including the Jewish people, the priests and the Sanhedrin.  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  He prayed for the very people taking his life.  Taking the form of a servant is one thing.  Washing feet is another.  Praying for those that despitefully use you is another entirely.  But none of those compare to asking forgiveness for the very people that are nailing you to a cross, where you will slowly bleed and die.

Jesus, Sheep or Shepherd?

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jesus_shepherdThe LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

The 23rd Psalm; a very familiar passage and perhaps the most quoted poetry from the Old Testament.  In John 10, Jesus explains that he is the good shepherd.  He is not a hireling, but loves the sheep, and would lay down his life for them.  He has been entrusted by the Father to care for the sheep.  And of course, we’re the sheep.

We’ve all seen pictures of Jesus holding a lamb.   But it’s more than a cute analogy.  Sheep must be cared for.  They have few natural defenses, and are very near sighted.  They need the shepherd.  We too are no match for the devil, often nearsighted (or blind), and desperately need the Good Shepherd.  Continue reading →

It’s like a trip on Jesus.

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student_bible_study“It’s like a trip on Jesus.”  That’s exactly what the young man said who shared his testimony this evening.  Those are the words he used to sum up his salvation experience.

I don’t write much about the youth ministry I’m involved in, but feel like I must share this story.  A Christian should be able to share his or her testimony.  Maybe not in front of a church congregation, maybe not even in a group.  But a believer should be able to tell another person, even if just in a one on one conversation, what God has done in their life.  So tonight at BCM Celebration!  (Baptist Campus Ministry) we talked about what it means to share a testimony. Continue reading →