Christmas with Zacchaeus  What does Christmas have to do with Zacchaeus? In Luke 19:7 the crowd grumbles when Jesus becomes “the guest of a man who is a sinner.” The Greek root word used for “guest” here is found in another interesting place in the gospel of Luke. In Luke 2:7 we are told that when Jesus was born Mary laid him in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn.” The word u...  Read More

Jericho’s Time-Tested Lesson  Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, as well as being one of the world’s longest continually inhabited cities. It is mentioned in a number of places in the Bible, but two of its biblical references are most noteworthy. The first occurs in the book of Joshua, where God shows up on behalf of his people through a rousing display of worship, demonstrated by m...  Read More

Though my first two years as music director at Grace were a little tough, this past year has been a bit easier. I figured a few things out, and my four kids became more independent. Gaining some confidence in myself, my desperation for help from God wasn’t quite so desperate. And my default of relying on self rather than the Spirit kicked in as things got easier.But when I put the Holy Spirit asid...  Read More

Over the course of the first few weeks of this year I found myself officiating a wedding, conducting a funeral, and leading a baby dedication. Indeed, the opportunity to walk alongside others in various seasons of life is one of the great privileges of pastoral ministry. It is also a reminder that part of the intended diversity of God’s people is age. Some of us are younger, some of us are older, ...  Read More

How the Cross Changes UsWhy exactly is Jesus’ death on the cross so significant? What happened on the cross that is intended to affect our daily lives? The New Testament provides at least seven different terms/pictures of what Christ accomplished on the cross and how that can change our life today.Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11-12)  As our once-and-for-all sacrifice for sin, Christ’s death offers us the...  Read More

Blessing Others  The word “bless” is used in a variety of ways in our culture, from saying “bless you” after someone sneezes to saying “bless your heart” when we feel bad for someone else. However, in the Bible, we see a rich history of God’s people blessing others; additionally, we see Jesus himself offering blessing to children in Mark 10:13-16. Below are three biblically-based ways we can bless...  Read More