In the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant,” Jesus taught us about forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35). In this parable, we learn when to forgive, why we forgive, and how to forgive. Much can be said about the theme of “forgiveness.” I would like to explore it further in Colossians 3:12-13. 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and…

(The following are my favorite quotes from the booklet “Risk is Right” by John Piper) The Word of our Lord did great harm to the beliefs of American Christianity (Matthew 16:24-27). As though tables in a temple, Christ turned over their doctrines: the self-exaltation of personal preferences, the self-preservation of comforts and safety, the self-insulation that claims to love God,…

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted a written protest against the Roman Catholic Church. Out of his effort to reform Catholicism, the “Protestant Reformation” was born. You and I are direct “descendants” of what transpired: our lives both in the church and outside the church still receive the influence of the Reformation. In the religious sphere, the impact is…

I was encouraged to hear the feedback and discussion concerning our biblical evaluation of Critical Race Theory (CRT) during the Sunday equipping hour. There was much to learn. Not only were we attempting to understand the issues Scripturally, but we were also trying to understand the doctrines of CRT from the perspective of their advocates. We had encountered new terms,…

In our last post, we asked the question “How do I think?” I contended that the world around us has lost its ability to think. The Christian community has also exchanged critical thinking for pre-packaged conclusions. I set two suggestions forth to regain the life of the mind; you can read those here. [link to last week’s letter and remove…

From a pastoral perspective, the quarantine has been quite a journey. It feels like a decade of events have happened in a short amount of time, doesn’t it? From race relations to disease to political wars, the world around us has been wrestling with truth, conflict, and power. As Christians, we’ve worked to steady our own ship: we know we…

What do we do when we notice sin in the life of a loved one? I imagine few welcome that conversation; fewer still know how to navigate it. The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Counselor. He provides us with a model to follow when these situations occur. Revelation 2:1-7 provides us with five keys for restoring a loved one…

In the time of Christ, foot-washing existed as a standard practice. Guests of a home could expect to have their feet washed by the lowliest of servants. (This is why the act performed by Jesus was so shocking, John 13:5-20.) Fortunately, this service is no longer a cultural practice (!) But when we receive guests at God’s house on Sundays,…

MGMT 671 – Applied Negotiations MGMG 592 – Mediation GOVT 581 – Conflict Resolution Skills Going back to school? Georgetown University offers a “Masters of Arts in Conflict Resolution.” I wonder how many of us would select this as our major? Most avoid conflict at all costs. (Especially when we have to pay to talk about it?) Yet, conflicts seem…

The desk sat empty. The lights turned off. The doors remain locked. That morning, Pastor James did not report to work. He could not. In fact, his work for the Lord that morning took place elsewhere. He sat in a jail cell in Edmonton, Alberta. Pastor James Coates was arrested for leading church worship that contravened an Alberta public health…