The grass is soft and unstirring, a soundless bed of sorrowful green. Etched on headstones in this old cemetery is “RIP,” an homage to the Latin phrase, “requiescat in pace.” In English, we use matching initials, chiseled in stone, to express the same sentiment: “rest in peace.” Words we write, speaking of the dead, each […]
Matthew 4:1-11: Not By Bread Alone
March 8, 2017 by
Such a generous offer the Devil makes, proposing to share the stage of God with Jesus Christ. The Devil can be such a charmer, offering our Lord bread, glory, and sparing Him the suffering yet to come. Why? So we will be without our Savior’s Word. The Deceiver whispers, “You don’t need to do this, […]
The “Lament” Psalms: Lesson 3, Psalm 32
October 6, 2016 by
Structure This psalm has a pattern, revealed by its grammatical switching of “person”: Verses 1-2: Being blessed. This is the “third person,” which refers to someone else, not the writer or the audience (you). Verses 3-5: Confession and forgiveness. This is in the “first person,” from the writer of the psalm speaking to the congregation. […]
2 Corinthians, Lesson 19: Paul’s Planned Third Visit
January 17, 2016 by
Having shown how he exalted in his weakness, so Christ may be exalted all the more, Paul now concludes his boasting in is weakness. Conclusion of Paul Boasting in His Weakness Read 2 Corinthians 12:11-12 Paul asserts he is not inferior to whom? Why? Excursus: “Signs and Wonders”: From Exodus to Corinth “Signs […]
Being in the world but not of it
November 26, 2012 by
This is our pastor’s article for the November 29th edition of the Stone County Gazette. Psalm 1:1 tells us: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in step with the wicked, take the path of sinners, or sit in the company of mockers.” If you remember the Old Testament story of Lot, he […]
The Problem of Evil
July 24, 2012 by
This is our pastor’s next article for the Stone County Gazette, partly in response to the recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado. “If God was such a loving God, how could He allow…” You fill in the blank or the perpetrated evil. Such a question presumes that God should run the universe according to our […]
1 John, Lesson 4: Conclusion
July 3, 2012 by
Eternal Life, Prayer, and Sin Read 1 John 4:13 – Who has eternal life? – What does believing in the name of the Son of God mean? Read 1 John 5:14-15 In 1 John 5:13-15, John moves from the greater to the lesser. If God has given us eternal life in Christ, then […]
