We have come to know and to believe
the love that God has for us.
1 John 4:16

Christian Life

A Concise Definition of Marriage

On the website of a church, what follows is obviously meant to be a definition in a Christian context. We can acknowledge that outside the Christian community, people are free to use words like marriage in the ways they think are best. Yet we must also claim the right to do the same within our…

Objective Personal Virtues

Objective personal virtues are not limited to Christians. They can be appreciated both through the lens of the Bible and through natural law. Natural law is the understanding of God’s order in Creation that a thoughtful person can discern with reason and observation. Natural law is behind the work of governments, for example. The more…

Beware of Unhealthy Pride

In Proverbs 16:18, God’s Word says something famous. I recall it most easily in the old King James version in which it first came to my attention: “Pride goeth before a fall.” Or in more contemparary language (ESV), “Pride goes before destruction.” There are certainly some people who will not want to listen or read…

Moderate Christianity?

In high school, I was in a class where we read certain pieces of literature. One that has stayed with me all these years is Enemy of the People by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen was a progressive-minded writer in the 1800’s, the same period when the play was set. The main character, Dr.…

Choices

Personal Choices, Truth, Evil, and Trust

This post can be watched and heard on YouTube.

What a fascinating time to live! Every day is an adventure, for you can’t predict exactly what you’ll encounter. One of the trends in our time is the emphasis on personal choices. You might recall that I’ve highlighted it in a sermon or two, using the Burger King slogan as an example: “Have it your way.” That’s only one very small example of a tidal trend that has been submerging our whole culture for some time. Choices are everywhere, and the act of making your own choices appears to be one of the most important or even sacred things in our culture.

Let’s Make the New Normal Better Than the Old

What makes a Christian? Certainly not anything superior to others. Christians who believe what the Bible actually says will be the first to admit that they don’t deserve anything different from God than their non-Christian neighbors deserve. There is no room in the Christian Church for a “holier than thou” attitude. That’s why Christians frequently…