Some potential problems are far more theoretical than actual. All the plans made for Y2K disaster were made for a theoretical problem. Y2K was not much of an actual problem. Most (all?) of the worries that awaken us at night and keep us awake are not real problems — very few come to fruition. The […]
Read More The Hypocrite Problem“How to be a Hypocrite”Luke 11:37-54November 1, 2026 As Jesus makes His way to Jerusalem, there is increasing resistance to Him. The crowds continue to gather, but not everyone who gathers is enamored with Christ. Some are skeptical. And increasingly, some are hostile. And that hostility will culminate when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem with a […]
Read More How to be a HypocriteWhen I was in elementary school, it was common during recess for boys to gather into multiple groups and each of those groups might have a ball that would be tossed, passed, thrown, and hurled between each of the participants. Fairly regularly, a ball would escape the grasp of one group and fly towards another […]
Read More Watch Out“Something Greater”Luke 11:29-36October 25, 2026 I’m guessing that most of you don’t know the name Otto Rohwedder. I’m also guessing that almost all of you have referenced his claim to fame. Rohwedder was an inventor and in the late 1920s he invented a machine that began to be used by the Chillicothe Baking Company in […]
Read More Something Greater“Amazed by Christ?”Luke 11:14-28October 18, 2026 What do people think about Christ? If they are like you, they will be a lover of Christ. But, there are many who don’t love Christ. And they will have other evaluations of Him (as you have heard): He is a good teacher, but He is not God: this […]
Read More Amazed by Christ?“Pray Boldly”Luke 11:5October 4, 2026 We have seen how prayer is a central theme in Luke’s gospel — he talks about prayer and shows Jesus in prayer more than any other gospel writer: Jesus prayed at His baptism (3:21) While the crowds pressed in on Him, He would often slip away to pray (5:16) Before […]
Read More Pray Boldly“Lead Us Not Into Temptation”Luke 11:4bSeptember 27, 2026 Some 2500 years ago, perhaps as early as 700 BC, in order to protect themselves, the feudal states of China began to build protective walls to guard against invaders. When the 1500-year-project was completed, those walls were joined to form the massive Great Wall around China. The […]
Read More “Lead Us Not Into Temptation”“Forgive Us Our Sins”Luke 11:4September 20, 2026 There are many truths that distinguish Christianity from the religions of the world: The tri-unity of God The union of God and man in the person of Christ — the eternal God-Man The humility of Christ in coming to earth and going to the cross The resurrection Salvation […]
Read More “Forgive Us Our Sins”Missionaries don’t engage in missions because they decide to go. Missionaries engage in missions because they are sent by the church. Missionaries are chosen by the church, trained by the church, funded by the church, and sent by the church. The missions task is the responsibility of the church, which sends some of its best […]
Read More What a Church Prays When Sending a Missionary“Since You Aspire to Preach the Gospel”Romans 15:20-21September 13, 2026 W&N, I don’t remember the first time you mentioned your interest in missions to me. But I do remember that it has been a repeated conversation between us. You have always been interested in missions and taking the gospel to those who do not know […]
Read More Since You Aspire to Preach the Gospel“Our Missions Commitment”3 JohnSeptember 6, 2026 Next Sunday we are sending out a family from GBC to serve as emissaries of Christ to SE Asia — W&N. They started preparing for this venture before they were even married (it was a desire they nurtured throughout their lives); and they began talking to us about it […]
Read More Our Missions CommitmentWhen Jesus taught the Twelve disciples (and us) to pray daily for daily bread (Lk. 11:3), He is instructing us to pray for our daily need for food and our daily need for all the basics of life — the “staples” of life. He is teaching us to express our dependence on and trust in […]
Read More Praying Daily for Your Daily Bread“Give Us Our Daily Bread”Luke 11:3August 23, 2026 One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, a mother asked her four-year old to give thanks for the meal. “But Mom, I don’t know what to say,” he protested. “Oh, just say what you’ve heard me say,” she told him. Obediently, he bowed his […]
Read More “Give Us Our Daily Bread”“Your Kingdom Come”Luke 11:2bAugust 16, 2026 The coming of the King and the Kingdom of God are persistent themes in Scripture. Both the OT and NT are filled with verses that anticipate a coming King: Dt. 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your […]
Read More “Your Kingdom Come”
