Sermon: “Disappointed with God?”

Disappointed with God?  He is Faithful Romans 9:30-33 September 22, 2019 We live in a world where there are disappointments.  Big disappointments and little disappointments — they all bring a measure of sadness and grief into our lives: You had plans for a vegetable garden, and it didn’t rain, and what did grow got eaten […]

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Sermon: “It’s Not Fair!” A Question of God’s Righteousness

“It’s Not Fair!” — A Question of God’s Righteousness Romans 9:19-23 September 1, 2019 In homes with children — especially young children — there is an often repeated declaration that particularly reveals the theology of the children:  “It’s not fair.” When dad receives a larger portion of ice cream for dessert, “it’s not fair.” (The […]

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The riches of God’s mercy

Is God unfair to condemn sinners to hell? Many people — even many members of many church denominations — will say, “Yes, that is unjust of God.  How could God be less kind than me?…” Yet Paul answers very differently.  In Romans 9, interacting with the question of theodicy — God’s righteousness is judging the […]

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How to think about 9/11

This Sunday is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against America.  Many are offering commentary on the topic.  Here are two that I find particularly helpful and a couple more that I have penned in response to various tragedies. First, Al Mohler has republished the sermon he gave two days after the attack.  His […]

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What I wrote on 9/11/01

I wasn’t blogging in 2001.  But I was writing an email devotional, and this is what I wrote the day after 9/11/01. “Enemy-occupied territory — that is what this world is.” So said C. S. Lewis nearly 50 years ago in Mere Christianity. Those words are haunting in their poignancy this morning, for as we […]

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