Author: S&P

Saturday, September 14, 2019 Let’s Talk about Jesus. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13 NKJV). Like some of us, Johnny was a natural backslider who kept God’s number on speed-dial for emergencies but otherwise sought direction and fulfillment through earthly channels. The most miserable place for a person to live is in a compromised life. Johnny had been in that d...

Gracious Definition: God’s Attribute We experience God’s grace because God is gracious. In Exodus 34:6, when God is showing himself to Moses, we read “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Gracious is used here as an adjective describing God. It is one of his attributes. Gracious, the Hebrew word channun, in it...

This week I received the news that Jarrid Wilson, a beloved and talented young pastor, had died by suicide. In his ministry, Jarrid was deeply committed to the cause of suicide prevention and to ministering to those suffering from depression. Upon learning of his death, I was deeply grieved, and my heart continues to ache for Jarrid’s family. Friends have set up an account to help support Juli, Ja...

That Verse before ‘All Things’ by John UpChurch “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12  I’d rather live a Philippians 4:13 type life. But that verse before it always gets me. I’d ra...

1.The Son of Man By far, the most frequent name Jesus called himself was “Son of Man,” recorded over 100 times in the gospels. As theologian George Knight says, “We know how Jesus used the title; but the why is not as easy to explain.” Sometimes Christ used Son of Man simply as a substitute for the pronoun, “I,” usually in the context of the humility of his humanity. For instance, in Matthew 8:19-...

There was an important article for church leaders in the latest Harvard Business Review (HBR) on how tying metrics to strategy is not always the best practice. Here’s the big idea. Something like Apple’s “Think Different” strategy, or Samsung’s “Create the Future” endeavor, would naturally be judged by the amount of sales of new products. As the HBR article puts it, “If strategy is the blueprint f...

Walking the Floodwall by Ryan Duncan “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” – Luke 2:52  I have a confession to make; last Sunday I skipped church. I actually had a very good excuse: I wanted to spend more time with God. I know that sounds pretty strange, and I’m certainly not saying Christians should start ditching on Sundays, but that morning as I was ge...

What happens when a nation is conquered, burned to the ground, and left in rubble? When its wealthiest and most prominent citizens are carried off as slaves and dispersed into a powerful foreign country? Well, if the experience of the Jewish people is any indication, those left behind cobble together an impoverished existence, surviving despite the odds, rebuilding lives as best they can. This is ...

Catch Those Little FoxesBy: Brent Rinehart “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom” – Song of Solomon 2:15 My family recently moved out into the country, and it has been quite a change of scenery. We traded in our view of our neighbors’ houses for woods and pastures. One of our favorite activities these past few months has been cat...

Forgiveness Definition We are instructed a number of times in the Bible to forgive others. It was an explicit part of Jesus’ model prayer in Matthew 6:7-15. Forgive is the Greek word aphiēmi, meaning “to send away, dismiss, suffer to depart; to emit, send forth.” In relation to an offense against us, it means that we dismiss it, or send it away. We do not hold onto that offense, harboring it in ou...