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Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season for the church calendar. By the sixth day in January, the wider society has long moved past the celebrations of Christmas. Employees have returned to work, children (...)

As Paul begins the crescendo that will culminate in the triumphal declaration that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38), he reaches back to the beginning of this section of the letter, Romans (...)

Last week’s study of Romans 1:1-17 highlighted how our response of faith joins us to a story that has come before — the story of God’s long fidelity to the people of Israel. Today’s passage (...)

Having made the world and seen it succumb to violence and sin in the first eleven chapters of Genesis, in Genesis 12 God suddenly zeroes in on one couple — Sarah and Abraham. We are (...)

Mark’s theology is apocalyptic: Mark believes that history is divided into two ages: (1) the present evil age that God will destroy and replace with (2) a new world in which all things manifest God’s (...)

Trinity Sunday presents preachers with significant challenges. Reference to the Trinity is itself enough to cause the eyes of many contemporary Christians to glaze over with befuddlement as they wonder where such a concept came (...)

Money. Every pastor’s favorite topic. Two brief stories in Mark 12:38-44 deal with wealth issues in ways that are still challenging today.  First are those who think they are more important than everyone else. In (...)

Celebrating The Reformation Many churches will celebrate the Reformation this week. Though Christians differ on some points of doctrine, most agree this is a great opportunity to lift up the biblical themes of God’s grace (...)

First Corinthians stands as a masterful example of a leader addressing a divided congregation and honestly critiquing the views of each side. Prior to this passage, Paul repeatedly attempts to move people away from an (...)

“But Now!” Romans 3 and Reformation Sunday belong together. Both Paul’s witness and the day in the church’s calendar deserve to be taken joyfully, but not in the triumphal ways of the past. One preacher (...)