An “Open Letter” Life   Among the number of issues Paul addresses to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians is the issue of “letters of recommendation” (3:1). In Paul’s day popular teachers/orators would present these letters to different audiences essentially as a way to demonstrate their supposed credibility and reputation, much like someone recognizable today would endorse a book written by a p...  Read More

Pictures of God's Strength   Throughout 2 Corinthians Paul uses a number of pictures to help us gain an eternal perspective of our suffering, each of which we will look at in our sermons in the weeks to come:In 2:12-17 Paul says we should approach our lives as those who are “in triumphal procession” through Christ. Though we often experience defeats and discouragements, our continued faith in Chri...  Read More

Recently, I have found myself in a stage of life where I can be quickly overwhelmed. Either I have one too many things I have to get done, or the circumstances around me are challenging my character and trust in the Lord. Feeling overwhelmed, or rather, helpless and out of control, left me with a question. Can I be overwhelmed with my circumstances and still be trusting in the Lord? Is it a sin li...  Read More

Love as a Debt   In the latter half of Romans 12 Paul offers a number of characteristics of the love that is intended to characterize those who follow Christ. In the latter half of Romans 13 he takes up the subject of love again, this time providing us with a picture of love. The picture he uses is that of a debt. He tells us in v.8 to “owe no one anything, except to love each other.” So, why woul...  Read More

Resources on God and Government   For this week I simply want to share three resources I found helpful in preparing my sermon for Romans 13:1-7. I will provide the title, author, and a brief description of each: God and Politics (Mark Dever) If I had to recommend one book to buy that will provide you with a thorough but brief treatment of the Bible’s treatment of politics, this would be it. At les...  Read More

Gifts of Grace   In Romans 12:6-8 Paul lists seven spiritual gifts. Though this is not an exhaustive list, it does provide us with an idea of the different ways in which God’s people are gifted. These gifts are one of the best ways that the body of Christ can demonstrate both our unity and diversity, reminding us that all followers of Christ are unified through the same Spirit, but that the Spirit...  Read More