The Corinthians had many issues Paul needed to address. But before dealing with any of them, he brought them back to the center. We probably need the same reminder. Jesus is not one loyalty among many. Jesus is the center from which every other part of our lives must find its proper place.   Read More

We need enough humility to listen and enough wisdom to recognize error. We need enough grace to distinguish between disagreements Christians can faithfully live with and teachings that actually pull us away from Jesus and the gospel. And notice where Paul's confidence finally rests. Not in the church becoming clever enough to identify every danger. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The church must remain watchful, but victory belongs to God.   Read More

Faithfulness doesn't require us to know exactly how the whole story will unfold. Sometimes God places a destination on our hearts that gets us moving, while the work God accomplishes along the way becomes far more important than we could have anticipated.   Read More

God’s promise through Israel was always moving toward blessing the nations. Jesus, the Messiah from David’s family, has fulfilled those promises, risen from the dead, and opened the family of God to people from every nation. The church in Rome was living evidence that God keeps promises. So are we.   Read More

Holiness is never only about what I am free to do. The Holy Spirit forms us into people who love God and neighbor so deeply that we willingly consider how our choices affect the people around us. Sometimes grace gives us freedom. Sometimes love teaches us to restrain that freedom for someone else’s sake. That's not weakness... it's Christlikeness.   Read More

We don't have to mirror the anger around us. We don't have to join every fight. We don't have to treat neighbors as enemies because the world has divided them into opposing camps. We don't have to grasp for power as though everything depends upon us winning...   Read More