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One of the great theologians in the church is Augustine of Hippo, a bishop in North Africa who lived AD 354-430. He was brilliant and trained as an orator but then came to Christ in his early 30s. From that point on, he devoted his talents and energy to the church and left us volumes of theology, sermons, and letters that continue to educate and edify the church. In one of his Advent sermons, he gave a powerful reflection on the incarnation. Here it is to help you marvel in this miracle: 

My mouth shall speak the praise of…

Last Sunday I mentioned the idea that the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 1:10–11 is called “the Spirit of Christ.” This is a mysterious title for the Spirit and is worth reflecting on a little more.

In my passage, Peter told us something unexpected about OT prophecy. He told us the prophets spoke because they were inspired by “the Spirit of Christ”:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted…

What do we find when we open up Peter's first epistle? Perspective. Perspective on so many of the things that confront us in life: identity, gender, marriage, Christ and his cross, salvation,  government, what God asks of us as Christians, what God accomplishes in us as Christians, the church, leadership in the church, work (vocation), our purpose, suffering, our past, present, and future, how we should think of ourselves in the midst of this fallen world—and where we should think of our true home. And there's more. These five chapters (or 105 verses) are packed with God's truth for God's…

Brothers and sisters, this in some ways is a part 2 to John’s post from yesterday. It has some additional information but ends with the same call to prayer.

Why to Pray

First let’s go over why we should be praying today and in the months to come.

Al Mohler opened his podcast this morning by saying,

“Today is going to be historic, because at 10 o’clock today at Supreme Court of…

Tomorrow, December 1, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, one of the most significant cases regarding abortion since Roe v. Wade in 1973.

This case originated when Mississippi’s sole abortion clinic challenged a 2018 Mississippi law, the Gestational Age Act, which limited abortion after 15 weeks of gestation. After lower courts blocked the law, Mississippi appealed the case to the Supreme Court.

Unlike some other cases which have come before the court, the Mississippi law directly challenges the legal framework imposed by Roe v. Wade. 

Would you consider praying and/or fasting tomorrow (December 1) against the scourge of abortion and for the lives of the unborn, who are made in the image of God?

On the night before D-Day, June 6, 1944, Dwight D. Eisenhower distributed a message to the troops involved in the invasion:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world….I have…

If Jesus himself asked you, "Who do YOU say that I am?", how would you respond? It's one thing for a friend or your dad or even a pastor to ask that question. But what if Jesus himself was the one asking it? That would be unsettling. In that moment you'd realize any pretending would be foolish. Borrowing someone else's answer wouldn't work. Drawing on all that you know and have read and have observed, you'd have to go on record and tell Jesus the truth. Whatever the consequences might be, you'd have to just lay it out there. 

The apostle Peter…

(Sam gave this testimony Sunday after our sermon on Pentecost. We asked if we could post it on the blog for those not able to be there. Enjoy!)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I grew up in church and have heard the gospel story for as long as I can remember. I can still remember asking Jesus Into my heart around the age of 6 while sitting in my high chair. But it was in my early teens that I felt the conviction of needing a “real" relationship with God. I constantly struggled with the “feeling” of not being…

Beginning Sunday, April 11, we’ll spend eight weeks looking at the book of Psalms (and one looking at Acts 2). The title of the series is “A Heart for God.” The reason for the title is that’s what we hope you experience, a greater heart for God.

The Psalms meets us wherever we are—even in the most desperate of all places—and draw our heart to God as the Good Shepherd, the Almighty Creator, the One Faithful to his promises, the one sure and steady anchor in a world collapsing all around us.

A year ago, the world came to a standstill. What stopped for you? Although universally impacted, the actual effects of the Covid 19 shutdown varied wildly from loss of life to loss of toilet paper. For many, the most challenging issue was isolation from friends and family. We either longed for those sweet reunions, or we got creative to make them happen. Even in this trial, there is much we can learn. As we begin to see an end to the COVID season, the church has an exciting opportunity! Let’s strategically think through how we can love our neighbor in…