Attendance was higher last night, especially when one considers that it was a rainy, cold spring evening when it would have been easier to stay home. Seeing brothers and sisters with the desire to be fed spiritually, to learn more about the word of God, and to grow in grace and knowledge is a great …
Continue reading “Iglesias de Cristo: Seminar and Regional Fellowship”
Last night was the first night of the seminar. The theme is “The Great ‘I Am’” based on the text of the early chapters of Exodus. The goal is to develop a clearer understanding of the nature of God as the foundation for developing spiritual maturity, greater commitment, and consecrated lives. We continue tonight at …
The song says it well: “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The quotation is from Psalm 118:24. We recite the verse in unison each Sunday as we begin worship at the Park Plaza church. A travel ad from a couple of years ago, an …
If we don’t understand God, it is unlikely we will understand much else of our place and life. Understanding God is foundation for understanding Christ; yet Christ shows us God. This is a paradox in Christianity. We do not study God. We do not seek to know him nor understand him. God’s entire purpose is …
I collect “bits.” For many years I wrote a weekly bulletin article under the title, “bits from bob….” Years of collecting sayings and thoughts, scraps of paper thrown in an envelope box (and more recently copied to a computer file) has resulted in lots of “anonymous” items. I have compounded the difficulty by summarizing and …
Do you know Jesus? In seminars, workshops, and weekend appointments, I sometimes use a short sermon series entitled “Do You Know Jesus?” We must never stop helping people come to know Jesus. We must distinguish knowing about Jesus from knowing Jesus! Knowing about Jesus helps us recognize him for who he is but does not necessarily demand …
It is not easy to hear the call of God. Think about God’s way with Elijah (1 Kings 19). God is not where we think he is. He does not call us in the ways we imagine or expect or to the places we expect. When God calls us, he calls us to his work, …
It’s Sunday again. We are traveling again. Another Sunday away from our home church family. Another Sunday away from normal routines, worshiping with part of our extended spiritual family. We love meeting and knowing other Christians, but it is not the same as being “at home.” It’s Sunday again–a good time to reflect upon why …
One of my favorite Bible studies is Ephesians. In Ephesians, we see the church afresh and gain new insights. One can describe Ephesians with the theme: Let the Church Be the Church! The church grows when it has an attitude of unity, agrees together in affirmations that unify, and uses the gifts Christ gives to …
A few years ago, I preached a sermon that recounted numerous evangelistic stories from the life and ministry Jan and I have shared. One person described the sermon as “your life in less than 30 minutes.” God marvelously blessed us with 20 years of local church ministry in two evangelistic, rapidly growing churches. Later, we …
