Check out the direction RCC is pursuing ..read more

In Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus turns the world upside down his disciples. They had been arguing who among them would be counted the greatest in God’s kingdom and likely hoped Jesus would give an answer that would support their respective opinions. Instead, Jesus pulls an insignificant little kid into the circle and said anyone who would become like this little child would be the greatest in God’s kingdom. Do you have difficulty believing this? I’m sure those first disciples struggled with this notion. I don’t need to tell you that this standard defies the World’s measures of greatness – you are int ..read more

In Matthew 17:14-23, Jesus reproves his disciples when they fail to cast a demon out of a boy seized with epilepsy. He scolds them because he had given them the power to do this, but were lacking in faith. He goes on to tell them that all they need is just a “mustard seed” amount of faith and they will be able to move mountains. As Erik pointed out in his sermon, the mustard seed was the smallest known seed in ancient times. Jesus is telling them that all that is required is the smallest amount of faith for God to work through them. As I reflect on this, I am struck by the mercy in this small ..read more

Every Christian knows we should obey God. Much church teaching is focused on guiding Christians in what they should do, what they should not to do, and how to live on the whole. These teachings can be difficult (it’s basically living like Jesus after all!) and that difficulty has led some to suppose their obedience must merit some reward from God. The thinking goes: do enough good works, say no to all the bad things, and you’ll get eternal life. The logic is appealing but breaks against the reality of our circumstances.  When we do something good, we are only doing what is right – we are ..read more

In Sunday’s sermon on Matthew 14:22-36, we learned that Christ walked on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, crossing paths with his disciples who began the journey much earlier by boat. After dispelling their fears that he was a ghost, Jesus answered Peter’s appeal that he be invited to walk to Jesus on the water by telling him “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat but didn’t make it far before his faith gave way to his fear of the wind and waves around him. Sinking, he cried out for Christ to save him and Jesus picked him up and returned with him to the boat. In that moment he asks Peter, "O ..read more

Before I get too far, I want to make an important distinction upfront. Experiencing disordered desires and temptations is not the same thing as acting on those desires and temptations. It is only when we act on temptation that we sin. Everything I’m about to say about homosexuality assumes that a person is acting on those desires, not just experiencing them. It is no sin to be tempted, Jesus himself experienced temptation but did not sin (Heb. 4:15). It is no contradiction to say that there are faithful Christians who struggle with homosexual temptation. For an example of this, you can consid ..read more

It is so easy to lose our sense of what’s really important. The Declaration of Independence claims that among our rights is “the pursuit of happiness.” Experience teaches us that it is easier to pursue happiness than to actually find it. As it turns out, we usually seek happiness in all the wrong places. Thinking about the average American, most of us seek happiness in “fulfilling” and especially lucrative careers. We pound this into kids at an early age – “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The critical word there being the use of what rather than who. We fondly smile at the child who ..read more

Sunday’s text took us into Matthew 14:1-13 which tells the story of how John the Baptist came to be imprisoned and executed by Herod Antipas. I highlighted the differences between John and Herod’s concerns – John being primarily concerned about God and His commands, Herod being primarily concerned about the opinions of others. I suggested that like Herod, we can be vulnerable to caring more about popular opinions than about God’s will and ways. Pointing to John’s example and our assurance of victory in Christ, I encouraged us to be brave in speaking the truth, even in the face of grave conseq ..read more

In Sunday’s sermon, we considered Jesus’s words in the Last Supper when he says that the cup “is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mat. 26:28) By those words alone, Jesus makes it clear that a critical aspect of his earthly life was to secure the forgiveness of sins. This is sometimes overlooked by those who want to paint Jesus as only a moral teacher who gave us the Golden Rule (do unto others...). To further demonstrate that Jesus clearly came for more than mere moral instruction, I referenced a couple verses from the gospels . When I was ..read more

You breathe your last breath, your heart thumps its last beat, a body once warm becomes cold. What happens next? What happens when you die?  Some believe nothing is next – you become worm food. Various eastern religions believe you will come back as another life form – anything from another human being to a tree, until you’re able to escape the cycle of reincarnation. Many religions believe your life continues in the spirit world – whether that be heaven, or paradise, or anywhere equal to or less than such places (e.g. Hell). While many across the world have had near-death experiences, t ..read more