“Your sins are forgiven you”

It was a simple statement by Jesus. It was just six words. They may not be the most significant or powerful words ever spoken by Jesus, but they undoubtedly they were the most significant and powerful words ever spoken to the man who heard them: “Friend, your sins are forgiven you” (Lk. 5:20). He was […]

The Forgiving Authority of the Son of Man

The Forgiving Authority of the Son of ManLuke 5:17-26March 16, 2025 Into every life a little rain must fall. Death and taxes are a certainty for every person. Trouble is all around us. And everyone has trouble, trials, problems, and difficulties. Even in a land of prosperity. Of course some of them are unique […]

The Cleansing Power of the Son of Man

The Cleansing Power of the Son of ManLuke 5:12-16March 9, 2025 Finish this statement for me: “Cleanliness is next to __________ .” So I’m not sure what to do with Dave Whitlock. Dave is a grad of MIT, a chemical engineer, and the founder of AOBiome which markets bacterial products that are supposed to […]

They Followed Jesus

After Jesus teaches a group of professional fishermen how to fish, Luke offers a concluding observation. It is a simple sentence with profound implications: “They left everything and followed Him.” They left the fish from that catch, the boats, the nets and equipment, the business, their houses, and undoubtedly relationships. They left it all. They […]

“Follow Me”

“Follow Me”Luke 5:1-11February 16, 2025 It’s an old childhood game — follow the leader. Players first choose a leader and the remaining players (followers) all line up behind the leader who then moves around and all the players have to mimic the leader’s actions exactly. Any player who fails to mimic the leader is out […]

The Authority of the Son of Man, Pt. 2

The Authority of the Son of Man, Pt. 2Luke 4:38-44December 22, 2024 I suppose Elizabeth was a couple of months old the first time she got sick. I don’t remember all the particulars, but I do remember it was something respiratory and she was struggling to breathe. One night she was especially uncomfortable and was […]

The Authority of the Son of Man, Pt. 1

The Authority of the Son of Man, Pt. 1Luke 4:31-37December 15, 2024 Authority. Authority is a word that can bring comfort when we are under wise and benevolent leaders. And it is a word that can provoke us to be fearful when we are under foolish, ungracious, and harsh authoritarians. Yet we all live […]

The First Reactions to the Son of Man

The First Reactions to the Son of ManLuke 4:22-30December 8, 2024 First impressions are not always accurate impressions. And first evaluations are not always true. I have experienced those truisms many times in my life, but one of the first times was when I was about seven years old. Mom and Dad were going […]

The Father’s Mission for the Son of Man

The Father’s Mission for the Son of ManLuke 4:14-21November 17, 2024 On Monday, April 2, 1739, John Wesley began preaching open-air evangelistic sermons at Kingswood Bristol. That decision and event was the start of a revival in England that the country had never seen before (or since). Wesley later wrote this in his diary about […]

Praise God for your salvation

When suffering, it can be hard to give praise. It can be hard to worship. It can be hard to be thankful. The pull of our hearts towards disappointment, complaint, discouragement, lament, and even despondency can preclude the desire to honor the Lord with our praise. How might we stimulate praise when we are in […]

In that Day…God Remembers

In That Day…God RemembersZechariahOctober 22, 2023 In his book, The Body: a Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson tells us about our memories: Short-term memory is really short—no more than half a minute or so for things like addresses and phone numbers.…Most people’s short-term memory is pretty abysmal. Six random words or digits is about all […]

The Messiah’s Worshippers

The Messiah’s WorshippersZechariah 14:16-21October 15, 2023 Many years ago I took my first trip to Israel. The trip ended with several days in Jerusalem and I, like all the other visitors, was struck by the presence of armed military everywhere. In the markets, at the Wailing Wall, at the city gates, at the holy sites…it […]

The Messiah’s Victory

The Messiah’s VictoryZechariah 14:10-15September 24, 2023 One husband was complaining to his wife about their children, wondering if they would ever grow up. Saying, “Just a moment,” his wife pulled out a worn box that contained a frayed, yellowing diary — her diary from the year 1945. She read this entry from a particularly bad […]

The Messiah’s Return (Pt. 2)

The Messiah’s Return (Pt. 2)Zechariah 14:6-9September 17, 2023 The coming of the Messiah (Christ) as King is one of the dominant themes in the OT: For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful […]

The Messiah’s Return

The Messiah’s ReturnZechariah 14:1-5September 10, 2023 In February 1942, the American war against the Japanese in the Philippines was not going well. It was going so poorly that by March 12, 1942, President Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur, who was stationed in the Philippines, to leave and relocate his command in Australia. MacArthur briefly considered […]