Asbury Church

Christmas Carols are like theological fruitcake—they are crammed full with good things. In the case of our beloved carols, they are teaching truth, but we have to actually listen.

What if we lived in a world in which it were impossible to ever say “Thank you?” What if somehow God removed our faculty to show gratitude? What kind of world would that be? Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, has that experience for nine long months. Because of his disbelief, he is struck dumb until the baby is born. Can you imagine?

The Advent season can be a wonderful time filled with hope, joy, peace, and love as we prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ. Unfortunately, some of us may be walking through a challenging season in which there seems to be no hope we can cling to. Some of us might have just received news about a terminal illness. Others might have been laid off at work, whereas some might face relational chal...

We wrap up our Romans series by looking at the remarkable list of names Paul includes in his final chapter. Romans 16 is fascinating because the list of names enables us to reconstruct the ethnic make-up of the Roman church network. It is remarkably “diverse” in the modern sense of the term, even though Paul has a completely different way of thinking about diversity. In fact, the way the world is...

Sometimes it is just really that simple: in light of everything that God has done for us, “therefore” what else can we do but offer our lives as living sacrifices to the Lord? That’s Paul’s basic point in Romans 12:1-2, and it’s all summed up in that little word, “therefore.”

“Every human being is looking for someone who is looking for us.” This is a profound insight into human nature, and also shows us the way to reach the people who don’t think like us, who don’t like us, who even hate us. The Apostle Paul reminds the Romans that unless someone *goes* and tells people about the love of God, they won’t know it. The same is true for us—it is our responsibility to tell...

“Don’t get too big for your britches.” That’s the warning the Apostle Paul gives to the Romans Gentile Christians in chapter 11. He chides them not to start thinking that God owes them salvation and warns them against feeling entitled. Or, to put it another way, Paul tells them not to drop the football before the goal line.

The great tragedy in the American church is that so many of us have stopped growing in Christ. We reached a point and have just stopped. But at Asbury we believe God has MORE for everyone, and that not even hard times and sufferings can separate us from the MORE that God has for us.

The language we use to describe our relationship with Christ and our pursuit of Christian virtue may be holding us back from what God actually has for us. We often say that our goal is to live “like Jesus,” but the apostle Paul’s language suggests a different vision for our participation in the Gospel message—a different metaphysical reality altogether, where we are “in Christ” and He is “in us.”...

What Paul tells us in the magnificent eighth chapter of his Letter to the Romans is that suffering is a feature in the life of a Christian, not a bug. Why? Because God is teaching us about the cost of love. When you love something in this world, you’ll have your heart broken. Love always comes with a cost, and no one make it out without wounds. But the scars are part of the story.

Romans 8 is a jewel, a masterpiece of insight and expression. But it is not easy. Like climbing a mountain, it takes work—but it is worth it. A person who climbs the Romans 8 summit will see higher and farther as a result. This Sunday we begin our study on Romans 8 by looking at the question, “How Do I REALLY Live in the Spirit?” For Paul, the answer is practical: we live, we walk, and we set out...

Can suffering make us stronger? Yes. (But there’s a catch). What about when the difficulty is too much for us? What about when the hard road we’re asked to walk is no longer a doable hard, but a destructive hard? Well, says Paul in Romans 5:5, even in those times we can be stubbornly hopeful "because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”...

The narrative for the early church, is not much different than what we are facing even today in the 21st Century Church! The struggle of those within the fold of God who act and behave as though they are self-righteous, almost as though they are entitled to the righteousness of God. As well as those who would like to be a part of the fold but feel unworthy and are stuck in constant striving to obt...

Repentance isn’t a four-letter Word. In fact, it’s one of the sweetest words in the world, because repentance means there is still an opportunity to start over. In the second chapter of his Letter to the Romans, Paul turns his attention to the way that God’s people fail to live by their own standards. Let it not be true of us. God is being kind in giving us an opportunity to repent. Let’s not miss...

The gospel has power to save. When Paul begins his great letter to the Romans, you might say that this is his thesis statement: “the gospel is the power of God to save” (Romans 1:16 ). Here’s the question, then: save from what? What does the gospel save us from? Paul’s answer: ourselves, and our darkened hearts and futile thoughts. The gospel saves us from the way that leads to death. In week #2 o...

In week #1 of our Romans series, we’re looking at Paul’s famous thesis statement in Romans 1:16 -17 in which he says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe….” Here’s my question? Why does he need to qualify it? What are the reasons that Paul (and we) might be ashamed of the gospel?

Over summer vacation, I saw a lot of beautiful New England churches, and most of them are basically empty on a Sunday morning. Of course, empty churches are not unique to New England. Why? What has happened in America? Why are so many people leaving the faith? Why are we failing to reach new people? Well, the simple answer is that we have forgotten to do the one thing Jesus told us to do: make dis...

Do you want to know God’s will for your life, not just on the big questions and decisions, but even in the every day? The Apostle Paul says that the way to know God’s will is to have your mindset transformed. Here’s how to do that.

This summer I’ve been thinking a lot about Asbury’s future and looking around at churches that seem to have lost their way. How can we stay on the path the Lord has for us? To get some clarity on this question, I interviewed a special guest at all our services, the Rev. Dr. Kevin Watson—director of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Tulsa site, hosted on our church campus—who just published the definit...

In the month of August, I’m sharing thoughts and ideas I’ve been working on over summer vacation. In Week 1, here is a vision for Asbury, summed up in one word. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Psalm 126

James instructs Christian to pray for the sick, anoint them with oil, and pray for them to be healed. Does God answer prayer for healing? Should Christian pray for diving healing today? Preacher: Kevin Watson Scripture: James 5:13 -16 Date: Sunday, July 28, 2024 [11:00 AM service]

Today is a gift from God. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, but every breath that we breathe is proof that God has more for us. We can try to hold on to our lives with a white-knuckled grip, relying on our own strength. We can even accumulate wealth and material possessions to give us a false sense of security. There is freedom, however, in offering our lives and all that has been entrusted to our ca...

How will you choose to live your life and lead those around you? James gives us some pointed words about two types of wisdom—wisdom of this earth and wisdom from above. Understanding the difference challenges us to evaluate and examine our ambitions and intentions. What type of wisdom you choose determines how you will lead your life. How are you leading your family, workplace, community? Are you...

Did you know that your words have the power to change the trajectory of someone’s life? James talks about the power of our tongues in James chapter three, highlighting the impact of our words. Have you ever been affected by someone's words? Have they made you doubt yourself or made you feel less than perfect? Or have they breathed life into you and encouraged you? Words can bring life or death, wh...

There are three stages for complete, authentic belief in anything—especially Jesus. Many of us are stuck in Stage-2 and it is holding us back from what God has for us. The good news is it will never be easier to step into Stage 3 than it is right now.