The Alpha
You’ve made bad decisions, right? Some of them were really bad, resulting in things you’re embarrassed about, stuff you won’t share with anyone who doesn’t already know. Welcome to normal. It must be written in our DNA. Decision-making is a complex process, of course, and unfortunately, we can’t will ourselves into always making the right decisions. But here’s a good place to start: When the Lord revealed himself to John near the end of the apostle’s life, he said: “I…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on September 19, 2018
Sermon Title: Walking with Abraham: Are You Serious? Text: Genesis 17:1-27 (ESV) Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s printable study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) It had been almost a quarter of a century since God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Now he’s 99 years old, and (one would think) he’s pretty much given up hope. What 99-year-old man and 89-year-old woman are able to…
His good pleasure
It’s clear that God expects a human response in our relationship to him, but do we sometimes emphasize what we do above what he’s doing? It’s important to recognize that God’s saving us begins, continues, and ends with his initiative, not ours. Notice how Paul mentions both in this passage: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on September 12, 2018
Sermon Title: Walking with Abraham: The Ups and Downs of Faith Text: Genesis 16:1-16 (ESV) Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s printable study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) What do we do when we face unfulfilled dreams? When life doesn’t turn out the way we want? When God doesn’t seem to be doing the things that he said he would? Sometimes we “help” God. We do his work for him to “encourage”…
Doubt…I Get it Now
From time to time, when an idea occurs to me…or I hear something that I want to explore further, I start typing and then title it and save it for a rainy day. Recently I was looking for something to work on and noticed a file entitled “Doubt.” I thought, “We’ve been studying doubt in the teen class, so I’m sure I can add to that one.” I opened it and saw these words: “Doubt…I get it now.” I looked at the date…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on September 5, 2018
Sermon Title: Walking with Abraham: Faith, not Sight Text: Genesis 13:1-18 (ESV) Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s printable study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) Broadly speaking, we look at the world in two ways: by sight and by faith. Looking by sight is viewing the world around us in an unspiritual way—the way most of the world looks at things. So we make decisions based on what makes us most comfortable,…
Standing up
I love reading biographies, and Eric Metaxas has written two excellent ones. Amazing Grace describes William Wilberforce’s twenty-year fight to abolish the British slave trade. Bonhoeffer discusses the courageous life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who stood up to the Nazi regime and was eventually hanged for his convictions. In his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast a few years back, Metaxas himself made a point about the common theme in these biographies: both of his subjects fought for…
Obey
Some folks have a problem with obedience. Actually, we all have a problem with obedience. It seems that we’re hard-wired with an inclination toward doing what we shouldn’t, or not doing what we should. It’s easy to see in kids, of course. It’s not a good parenting technique, but sometimes the quickest way to get a toddler to do something you want him to do is to tell him not to do it. Unfortunately, that little rebellious streak never leaves…
Becoming a part of the Hoover family
People become a part of a church for a multitude of reasons. In the past, it was fairly common in Churches of Christ for those who wanted to “place membership” with a church to walk forward during the invitation song after the sermon and express this. Most people find this experience to be uncomfortable and often do not want to do it. Today, most will simply let the ministers or one of the elders know that it is their desire…
Highest Place
“Highest Place” is one of my favorite worship songs: We place You On the highest place For You Are the great High Priest. We place You High above all else And we come to You And worship at Your feet (Scripture in Song, Ramon Pink, 1983). The lyrics are based on the NIV’s translation of Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of…
Emptied Himself
I think the greatest motivation for living how we ought to live is contained in these three verses. Read them slowly, carefully, reflectively, perhaps repeatedly. . . . Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to…
His mind
Two Sundays ago on this page I encouraged you to do what Paul says here: “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). How’d you do? If you’re like me, you did really well right up until the point that you got out of bed. It’s just hard . . . really hard. Sometimes it goes against everything within you, and it seems to require superhuman effort to make it through a few hours. If we can’t make…