Sermon: The King’s Kingdom

The King’s KingdomMatthew 13:44-52December 5, 2021 In our political process, whenever there is an election voters want to know in advance, “If you are elected what will you do?” “What will life be like under your leadership?” We want to know if taxes will be raised, if there will be new liberties granted, or if […]

Sermon: The King’s Authority

The King’s AuthorityMatthew 9:1-8November 28, 2021 I have a friend who — right before he gives his opinion on what I should do — likes to say, “If I were king for the day…” I think he means that jokingly. I think. What would you do if you were king for the day? Poet Judith […]

Five reasons to submit to government

Submission isn’t easy. It isn’t easy for children to submit to parents. Or students to teachers. Or slaves to masters (or employees to employers). Or wives to husbands. Or church members to elders. And it’s not easy for citizens to submit to governing authorities. In 2021, it seems especially true that it is hard for […]

Scripture is authoritative

In “If I Were in Charge of the World,” Judith Viorst’s popular child character Alexander opines, If I were in charge of the world There’d be brighter night lights, Healthier hamsters, and Basketball baskets forty-eight inches lower. If I were in charge of the world You wouldn’t have lonely. You wouldn’t have clean. You wouldn’t […]

As it is Written

Everyone has phrases he tends to use repeatedly. Sometimes the words are “filler” when we don’t know what to say, other times they are affirmations that we tend to make in the same way. For instance, I tend to use the word “absolutely” and “precisely” when giving positive affirmation of a statement. Or when seeing […]

Prove it to me

In our world, skepticism abounds. Conspiracy theories flourish. Doubters disbelieve explanations they are told. Truth is questioned and lies are embraced. Things that are too far-fetched to be true are accepted as true. If it sounds “truthy” then it must be true. Truth is subjective rather than objective — “true for me” is more important […]

He has authority

Writing in World a few years ago, Gene Veith observed that, “People today want to feel moral. But they do not want objective, transcendent absolutes — such as the Ten Commandments — whose authority comes from God.…They prefer to construct an ethical system that does not make them feel guilty.” In general, people want authority, […]