1 Thing Matters

While not every religion uses the word “sin,” they all embrace the concept. Every religion acknowledges that mankind’s flawed attitudes or misguided actions are a source of pain, both now and potentially in eternity. So every religion offers a solution: a set of laws, a moral code, a path to more enlightened behavior.  What do they have in common? We are to solve sin through human effort. Be bette...

Person A never attends worship. He can’t see the point. Person B attends every week out of a slavish sense of obligation. Her mind wanders during the services, for she views the activities of worship merely as tasks for her to complete. Who is worse off? Rather than debating the point, let us just admit neither understand the true worth of worship. And that is exactly what Satan wants. Many think...

We know that the cross was an instrument of torture and execution. However, Scripture also uses the term “cross” to refer to any suffering that one endures because he is a believer: the painful denial of the desires of the flesh; ridicule and persecution from unbelievers; etc. This is one reason people reject religion. They see Christians struggling in life with these crosses, while non-Christians...

“If God loves us, why doesn’t he remove all the trials and tests and temptations that we face?” That question demonstrates the religious assumption that those things are bad. They aren’t. In the hands of a loving God, they are tools by which he refines our faith. He uses tests as a way to compel us to be less self-reliant, and instead trust in his strength. He uses trials to teach us that this bro...

We began this season of Epiphany in the Jordan River. From that day, in word and deed, Jesus began to reveal more about himself. From that river, we have followed Jesus to arrive at a mountain. Today on the Mount of Transfiguration, in a show of dazzling brilliance, Jesus gives us a real glimpse of God’s glory. This final epiphany prepares us for the journey of Lent where, at another mountain call...

Martin Luther once said, “Where God built a church, there the devil would also build a chapel.” Satan hates God. He demonstrates that hatred by hurting those that God loves in any way he can. The epiphany Christ wants us to have is this: the devil is real and very dangerous. But just as real is Christ’s deliverance, for Christ is continually undoing the devil’s work. And through his Word, Christ J...

To whom does the work of salvation belong? Simple question. There is only one Savior. But this is how good Jesus is: once he has changed us, he also charges us, thereby bestowing on us lives that have profound meaning and eternal purpose. We are not just fyollowers, but also follower-makers, for his charge to us is this: “My dear disciples, go and be my ambassadors, so that through your efforts I...

Even though Jesus knows all our faults and failures, he badly wants something to do with us. So, he calls us to follow him. But he does so in a special way: through his gospel. When Jesus calls us to discipleship through his gospel, he also calls us to glory and grace.

At his baptism in the Jordan River Jesus was publicly anointed with the Holy Spirit and designated by God the Father as his chosen Messiah. Thus, Jesus’ baptism was the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus’ baptism revealed that he was not just a nice guy who could make a sturdy table. He was God’s chosen servant, the one who had come to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus is the on...

On Christmas Eve a choir of angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” So, where is this peace on earth? Between nations? There are always wars going on somewhere. In our country Disagreements have only grown more contentious, one group screaming angrily at another group. We might not even have perfect peace in our homes! So, what were t...

We live in a world with a 24-hour news cycle. Between the countless cable networks or online sources or social media posts, news is flying at us constantly. Most of it seems awful. We doomscroll on our phones—bad news after more bad news. Our hearts grow heavy. Our minds grow anxious. The world is starving for good news. And that is exactly what we get at Christmas. On that first Christmas Eve, th...

The historic Christian Church gave Latin titles to each Sunday. They titled the Third Sunday in Advent “Gaudete,” which means “Rejoice!” As we reach the midway point of Advent, we remember that when the King shall come, he will bring us perfect and everlasting joy. Joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness is an emotion. Joyfulness is a condition. Happiness comes from your circumstances. J...

The Bible teaches that King Jesus is the Son of God in flesh and the only hope for salvation. Jesus himself claimed that he is the only way into the glorious kingdom of heaven. You do not approach meeting someone like that casually or carelessly! You prepare meticulously. What does that mean? What does a life of readiness—ready to meet such a King—look like? In one word: repentance. If we insist o...

Rulers plan and administrate and govern. They typically do not save. If your house is on fire, it will not be the mayor who shows up to save you from the flames. If America were attacked, the President would serve as the commander in chief of the armed forces, but he would not pick up a weapon, go to the front lines, and fight to save you from the enemy. Jesus is different. He is both infinitely g...

It’s been said that if you want a job done right, then do it yourself. This may be more true in some areas than others, depending on the scale and expectations of the task at hand.  Thankfully, as far as our salvation is concerned, God took the same approach. Unwilling to risk our eternities by leaving them in our own hands or under the care of someone else, Jesus, our Shepherd-King wanted to make...

As we wait for Jesus Christ to return, we are not to be sedentary. The reason Jesus has not yet returned is that he still has work to do - and he carries out that good work through us, his Church. Since he has given every believer gifts and talents, he expects us to use them. In the time between Christ’s first and second coming then, we use everything the master has given us to live according to h...

Imagine you are planning to take the family out to dinner. You all have to wait on someone to get ready. Minute after minute passes. What can happen in that situation? It is easy to focus on something else and completely forget the original goal. When that family member is finally ready, you’ve become immersed in a movie. Or perhaps, as you were waiting, you grew drowsy and fell asleep. As we wait...

Childbearing is an excruciating process. Yet each day countless women, wanting a baby, willingly become pregnant. Pain can be endured if we know it is temporary and that happier times come immediately after. Likewise, the time between Christ’s first and second coming is going to be full of hardship, especially for believers. How do we bear it? We remember that this is temporary. Happier times are...

Jesus told his followers, “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matthew 10:22). Even centuries before Jesus ever said it, Daniel experienced that hatred over his worship of the true God. So those of us living right now in the time between Christ’s first and second coming should expect nothing different. Martin Luther is a good example.  All that priest wanted was to share the pure gospel...

There are invitations we might be tempted to reject: an invitation to an event you are not interested in, an invitation to a party that takes place at the same time as something else you want to do. There are other invitations which people would say you’ve lost your mind to reject: an invitation to go on a free tropical vacation, an invitation to go backstage and meet your favorite musical group,...

“Foolish” might be how we’d initially describe the person who repeats the same behavior and expects to get a different outcome. “Reckless” might be another description if that repeated behavior puts someone else at risk.   But what if that person has gone to great lengths to arrange for his desired outcome, only for others to disrupt it each time? Perhaps he isn’t so foolish or reckless after all;...

You have maybe heard the accusation or perhaps even made it yourself: “He’s so fake!” That charge claims someone’s friendliness or kindness is a sham. Such insincerity bothers us. We would generally rather someone be honest about how they feel about us than be fake. Through a story Jesus teaches us that God feels the same. God doesn’t want us to simply go through religious motions like some sort o...

Give a single bag of M&Ms to two four-year-olds and tell them to share. You will witness counting done with accountant-like precision. Each child will get an equal amount of candy because that is fair. Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of fairness. That is why it can be so perplexing when we see how God dispenses blessing and grace. We see people who mock God who are more prosperous...

“Pay it forward.” That phrase means that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass along kindness to another person instead. Doing something kind for someone else is a way of thanking the person who originally did something kind for you.  Today God applies that concept to forgiveness. God forgave our countless sins, paying an incomprehensible price...

Imagine, late one night, you notice the house across the street is on fire. You see no activity inside. You say to yourself, “Pounding on the door in the middle of the night might scare the family. I’m sure they’ll realize what’s going on eventually.”  Ridiculous! You would never do that! To let a family sleep while flames surround them would be cruel. Your inaction would make you a killer. The tr...