Lately, I’ve been reading C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity as part of a book club. This, along with other recent events and discussions, has caused me to think more about unity within the Church. First, some context. Lewis states in the preface to his book that his intent is not to discuss Christian denominations or differences among the denominations. Instead, he …
Monthly Archives: September 2017
In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about what the “kingdom of heaven is like.” In the New Testament, the “kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God” refers to the “reign of God,” rather than to a place. So, what is God’s reign among His people like? Jesus’ parable on this topic is about a master of a house who …
How often are we to forgive someone who has wronged us? Peter asks this question of Jesus. Indeed, it comes right after Jesus had been talking about reconciliation. He said that if someone wrongs you, go to that person alone and “show him his fault.” If he listens, then you two have been reconciled. If he doesn’t listen, then take …
The recent hurricanes caused me to reflect on Job 38:1-11: Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me! “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who …
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? This question naturally follows what we discussed last week in Matthew’s Gospel when we compared the theology of glory with the theology of the cross. Sinful humanity wants to try to take credit for its salvation and glory in its achievements. Sinful humanity asks this question: “Who is the greatest?” …
I’m sometimes asked if I can recommend some good books to those who are interested in the Christian faith or want to learn more. So, I thought I’d share what I’ve recommended to people in the past. The list below is organized in various sections, and at the end I’ve included some of my own books just because I wrote …
If you were to create your own religion, how would you go about it? How would you create it? You’d probably start by modeling it on the way the world around us works. Take our jobs, for instance. In the corporate world, we progress from one stage to another and we get greater and greater glory and recognition as we …
Based on the survey responses, we’ll start our Book Club with C. S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.” I hope you’ll join me! We’ll use Goodreads to host the discussion forum, so just go to the link below to sign up and join the group (it’s free). To start, check out the “Introductions” topic and introduce yourself. Each week, I’ll open up …