There’s something unique about the church, something sacred that goes far beyond bricks and mortar and the land upon which we build our houses of worship… something that even outshines her purpose. Other institutions own property. Other organizations have mission statements. Neither...

When I was in high school, a lot of people in the church found themselves talking about two things: the rapture and the “will of God.” The Left Behind series was in full force, so people everywhere began wondering if they’d make the cut. (Would they get out, or would they find...

There’s an interesting tension we find in the New Testament: Jesus is the Word of God and Jesus does the Word of God. We’re consistently confronted with deciding the proper place of each “Word.” 

The Pharisees thought the written words were more important than the...

I understand if the previous talk caught you off guard. So before going forward, let’s step back and see just how “in line” the things I communicated to you are.

Here’s how I propose to achieve that: In seminary I learned a deliberate and “safe” process...

Throughout the Book of Acts we see at least five instances of people encountering the Holy Spirit in a way which is clearly identified as being separate (and in addition to) salvation.  Now, although my friend Van (I mentioned him in the previous talk) would have loved to create a formula...

Before Jesus ascended to the throne, He told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and “wait for the promise of the Father.” He reminded them that John the Baptizer submerged people in water, but they would be immersed in the Holy Spirit within a few days (see Acts 1:4-5 ESV).

If we...

I read an interesting story about a French village that got sacked during World War II. Lush with vegetation and well-drawn water, the small locale in Northern France was ripe for the picking of the Axis forces. Though they occupied the houses and public buildings as their own for a season, when...

The Pharisees asked Jesus an incredibly insightful question one day— insightful because of the answer He gave, not necessarily because of the question they asked. It happened shortly after Jesus called Matthew to follow Him. Recall, Matthew invited “many tax collectors and...

Over the past few talks I’ve suggested that...

• Jesus shows us what the Father is really like (talk 1). Then, 
• He reveals who we’re designed to be (talk 2). Third,
• We've been “included” in Christ, so everything that happened to Him happened to us (talk 3).
• ...

I want you to notice something— a piece of the Gospel story you may have missed. Once you see it, you’ll never miss it again, though. I promise.

Let’s talk about Jesus after the Resurrection…

Mary Magdalene, who loved Jesus dearly as He had rescued her from a previous...