Posts from November 2024
The Power of God to Salvation
In the beginning of his letter to the church at Rome, Paul stated, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed … ” (Romans 1:16-17) That’s a great passage that we often quote to emphasize boldness in evangelizing. But, what does Paul mean by the “power of…
The Purpose of the Church
In the years I have been in ministry, I have learned that people have a vast number of ideas about what the purpose of the church is. Some of our religious friends have a concept in mind that is more akin to a country club or a social organization. They go to church primarily to mingle and fraternize. To others, the church is a family identity. Phrases like, “Our family has always been, and will always be (fill in the…
Congregational Evangelism
Belgian Draft Horses are very large animals, with an average height of 16-17 hands (5.3 – 5.5 feet at the withers – the ridge between the horse’s shoulder blades), and typically weigh between 2,100 and 2,300 lbs. Given their size, we would expect them to be very strong, and indeed they are. Once fully grown, they are capable of pulling 8,000 pounds. An interesting fact is that when two horses pull a load together, they don’t just pull 16,000 pounds,…
God is a God of Patterns
I will be the first to admit that I am a creature of habit. I typically do the same things, eat the same kinds of foods, and wear the same kinds of clothes on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. One could easily identify a consistent pattern in my lifestyle. Although I have made a few adjustments over the years depending on certain factors, like getting married, job changes, moving, or health reasons, I continue to have a distinguishable routine…