From the Pulpit

One can learn a great deal from reading the letters written by soldiers to their families during World War I and World War II. Scanning these preserved messages can grow in us a compassion for those who suffer, provide insights into the horrors of battle, and inspire gratitude for the many men and women who have given their lives for the safety and security of others. And all of this and more can...

The Bible is filled with contrast. Good and evil, light and darkness, joy and sorrow, hope and fear. In many cases, we’re better able to understand just how great something is when it’s compared and contrasted with something that is not very great. If I showed you a twig and a log, it would be immediately obvious which one is bigger, and heavier. But if I held up two twigs that are only slightly d...

Sometimes, there is suffering in our lives that’s more like a stomach flu: we don’t really know why it’s happening, but it feels terrible. Just when we think it’s done, we get hit again. And while others can comfort us and we can treat the symptoms as much as possible, we know that ultimately we just need to wait it out. But other times, suffering has a cause; we’ve done something unwise or irresp...

It has been observed that “the subject of biblical prophecy is like one magnet interacting with another. For many people, it pulls them in. For others, it drives them away.” Indeed, some are drawn to prophecy. Wanting to know about the future they enjoy thinking, discussing, and reading about things to come and, perhaps, how current events fit in to God’s revelation. Others are repelled by prophec...

Matthew has recounted Jesus’s final entrance into Jerusalem (20:29–21:17), the unrelenting opposition he faced upon arrival (21:18–22:14), and, now, his rebuke of the faithlessness of the nation’s leadership (23:1–39). To state it another way, the King was formally presented to Israel, formally rejected by Israel, and is now formally rejecting Israel in response. And of all the legitimate reasons...

There are few more offensive concepts to the sensibilities of our contemporary culture than that of submission—the act of knowingly, willingly, intentionally, and repeatedly placing ourselves, our wills, and our preferences under the authority of another. It is considered a distasteful mark of powerlessness, hopelessness, shamefulness, and oppression. Success, according to many, means having other...

It’s wise to learn from others’ errors. A child, seeing their sibling punished, can learn obedience. A student, observing a peer caught cheating, can learn integrity. An athlete, watching a teammate fail, can learn of strategy. Whether in business, dating, gaming, or home renovations, it’s wise to learn from others’ errors (see, for example, 1 Cor 10:1–11; 1 Tim 5:20). That that’s what we re going...

If you follow the church calendar a bit, you may have noticed that last Thursday was a memorable day. In some countries it is actually a holiday where we commemorate the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven. Now, in between Easter and Pentecost (not to mention Christmas), Ascension day may not make it into your top three Christian holidays. And so I wanted to talk about this event using three questio...

It is not uncommon to look forward to something for a long time only to be a tad underwhelmed, unfulfilled, or disappointed at its eventual realization. Whether a particular milestone or accomplishment, a unique experience or possession, the goal has been anticipated, daydreamed about, planned for, and worked toward. And yet, when the longing gives way to reality—the milestone reached, the accompl...

The God of the universe calls and invites all people to obey him, to fellowship with him, and to serve him and, like a wise parent, he motivates his children in a variety of ways. Sometimes God motivates with fear (e.g., Rev 2:16). The reality of hell is terrifying and, rightly understood, is hugely incentivizing to trust in the One who can save us from it. Other times, God motivates with love (e....

Today I want to talk about Romans chapter 8. Romans 8 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, great because it is full of blessings for the believer, blessings that we are only beginning to appreciate as we walk with the lord. This blessed chapter follows chapter 7, one of the most troubling chapters for Christians because Romans 7 documents the great struggle we have with our sinful ways. R...

The more famous, powerful, and wealthy someone grows to be, the less approachable and available they become. For example, just as most citizens are unable to walk into the office of the Prime Minister to casually discuss public policy so most Roman Catholics can’t schedule a dinner with the Pope to chat theology. Why? Because in our world, one measure of importance is inaccessibility. But that’s n...

As we read the first chapter of the book of Acts, it appears that the disciples were still struggling with this resurrection thing. Over a period of 40 days, Jesus appeared to them and as Luke says “they talked about the Kingdom”, and Jesus gave them many “incontrovertible” “irrefutable”, “undeniable” proofs that he was raised from the dead. He was alive and well. But, they still are not in f...

The final verse of the fifteenth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth invites and implores believers in Jesus Christ to stand with immovable conviction in their faith and serve their Lord with joyful confidence. Few Christians would deny their need and longing for either of these two realities. The question is, how can they be cultivated? This is where the first fifty-seven vers...

On December 19, 2013, Ontario was hit with a huge ice storm that in effect shut down the whole province. Driving was impossible and for days many were trapped in their homes. Many had to abandon their homes and go live in warm shelters for days. Tragically, in the GTA, 27 people died because of the storm. Such was the devastating effect of the power shortage. Today we are going to look at Romans 7...

Our culture is hugely confused about marriage, its importance and significance, exclusivity and accountability, permanence and purpose. The institution of marriage is often treated today as something with which to play , like a board game that can be briefly enjoyed and then discarded if broken or replaced if old. It’s treated like something to ignore , like a war monument commemorating something...

The eighteenth chapter of Matthew’s gospel account records yet another significant teaching session from the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas he has already described the ethical standard of the kingdom (chs. 5–7), sent his disciples out to declare the nearness of the kingdom (ch. 10), and parabolically introduced novel details about the kingdom (ch. 13), Jesus here explains a defining characteristic of...

When preparing for a marathon, there is a goal that is set in the runner’s mind months prior to the actual race. Much preparation, exercise, and sacrifice has been paid for by the athlete. The several hours of the race will be the pay off for all the training that was put in. The marathon runner has to note the proper diet, running shoes to wear, type of training, and the proper coaching to be a s...

It seems there’s a lot of bad news lately. A sample of recent news headlines report and warn of disconcerting realities that range from escalating humanitarian crises to fatal school shootings, from potential radiation leaks to continued civil unrest, from soaring gas prices to spreading wildfires. Add to the mix a combination of health concerns, growing fatigue, financial strain, relational tensi...

One of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring things is to have a water’s-edge view as a storm builds and works its way in across a lake. There is something about watching the clouds billow and darken, the waves picking up in size and intensity, and the raw power of the lightning as it almost seems to crackle across the surface of the water, that reminds you of just how puny and powerless you really...

Life is always going to be difficult, but we can avoid a lot of hardship and needless struggle when we are prepared and practice the essentials. In the spiritual realm there are essentials to practice, and one area is in our prayer life.

Scripture is clear that, for those who follow the Lord Jesus and proclaim the riches of his saving grace, causing some offence is unavoidable. “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor 2:15–16). In other words, Christians stink and only the perf...

“You are more powerful, capable, and resilient than you realize!” Supposedly motivational statements like this one are common in a humanistic culture that’s obsessed with self-esteem and that preaches purpose, joy, contentment, and success are all available with the right mindset, a positive attitude, and unwavering self-belief. However, the Bible is clear that none of that is true and, in fact, t...

There are certain sections of Scripture that seem especially holy, accounts like Moses at the burning bush, the Hebrews at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Christ-welcoming night in Bethlehem, and the women at the empty tomb. These are sacred scenes that invite God’s people nearer God’s glory, power, and grace. The transfiguration of Jesus likewise falls into that magnificent category. In his book , T...

In the middle of the book of 2 Samuel there is a fascinating story where David, the King of Israel, is forced to flee for his life from his son Absalom. But today, rather than look at 2 Samuel, we are going to be reading from Psalm 3. When we read the intro text before the first verse, we see that this short psalm has been noted as “A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom”. Now, I’m go...