There is an old Irish benediction that contains the words, “And may the wind always be at your back.” If you have ever done any sailing that phrase needs no explanation. There’s nothing more exhilarating than to be on the water and have a strong prevailing wind at your back with its full force filling […]
What’s your problem? We usually ask that question in a way that sounds sarcastic but it’s actually kind of important. Here’s why: Your life will be defined by your biggest problem. For instance, you can choose, if you want, to devote your life to a problem like, how can I become rich? Or, how can I be […]
Jesus has finished his sermon in the Upper Room and is now in the process of closing in prayer. So far he has prayed for himself. He has also prayed for his disciples, whom he will soon be leaving behind. But in John 17:20-26, at the end of his last public prayer before his death, he turns […]
Think about the last time you had to say goodbye to someone you really care about. Maybe it was at an airport with a close friend, or at the end of a family reunion, or perhaps the deathbed of someone you love. Dropping your child off at college for the first time isn’t a cakewalk either. […]
“It is the nature of joy that all questions grow silent, and nothing needs explaining.” Rudolf Bultmann. When you read the gospels do you ever have questions about some of the things Jesus says? Would you occasionally like some clarification on statements he makes?That’s the situation with the disciples in John 16:16-24 as we return […]
As we come to John 14:15-31 we know something about the emotional state of Jesus’ disciples as they begin to absorb the announcement of his imminent departure. We know they are anxious, or soon will be, because Jesus tells them to “let not your hearts be troubled.” We know they are feeling abandoned and alone […]
By John 14:1-14, Jesus and his disciples have just finished what has come to be called “The Last Supper.” But the disciples didn’t know it was the “last supper” until the Lord dropped a bombshell into the conversation not long after he had washed their feet. Out of the clear blue he tells them that […]
Once a year there is a Sunday where either Matt or I get to teach on whatever we want. The rest of the year is all scheduled out. But on the Sunday after Christmas we get to choose. It’s always hard for me to decide what topic to teach on. I’m not good with unlimited […]
When I was seminary, which was about the same time the earth’s crust hardened, like everyone in my particular program I had to take “baby” Greek. After you nail down some of the basics, one of the first books they have you translate is I John. Why is that? Because the Greek in I John […]
As we enter the final chapter of I John it’s quite possible, perhaps even likely, that this is the last apostolic message written to a church. What about 2nd & 3rd John? They were written to individuals. So this week we come to the last chapter of the last letter to a church, from the […]
“Dear Children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 Several years ago a group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8-year-olds: “What does love mean?” Here’s a sample of some of their answers. “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t […]
Have you ever noticed how fairy tales kind of echo the gospel? Frederick Buechner writes about this. Something inside us believes, or wants to believe, that the world as we know it isn’t the whole story. In fairy tales something usually goes wrong or there’s some injustice or evil introduced. Then there’s a curse and […]
