How do you get rid of fear? More specifically how to you resolve relational fear? Who owns the fear? Who is responsible to act?

This bold statement was made last Sunday, “Tithing is not giving!” This idea flies in the face of how many perceive tithing. After all, don’t those who make enough money in America list their “tithe” as a charitable contribution to reduce their tax burden? We cheer when it’s time to give our tithe in the service because God loves a cheerful giver. Despite the impulse to consider tithing giving, I would have to agree. Tithing is not giving.

Today, we had an excellent talk about the motivation for righteousness, or right living. To many people in Christian and Jewish communities, to receive or experience God’s love and blessing you must first obey Him. Yet as was expressed today, God loved us first. While we were disobedient, selfish, and self-righteous He sacrificed for us and has given us blessings. Our motivation should not be to earn God’s love by strict adherence to Law, but in the reciprocating love and sacrifice of gratitude for His preemptive love.

There are constant instructions to not conform to the world. We discussed today that we are to be weird, that is different from the world. The image used is of a blue bird flying in the opposite direction of a flock of blackbirds. If everyone were to turn and repent–become bluebirds–then that becomes normal and is no longer weird. Ultimately, this is not about a sinful normal and a righteous weird. It is about the conflict between a sinful normal and a righteous normal. Don’t fly with the blackbirds. Fly with the bluebirds.

Today, we hit the pothole where many expected to find “and fasting” in the NIV. The question then came up concerning why these words were left out of Mark 9:29. The quick answer is that is wasn’t likely there in the first place.

“Mary, did you know…?” The best answer to the questions embedded within the song is “not likely.” Consider what is written in the Scriptures. First, Gabriel told her that He would take the throne of David. Second, when she criticized Jesus for leaving her side He responded with statement about the priority of His faith. [...]

Recently our church completed the campaign, r12, during which we learned about true spirituality from the context of Romans 12. While the big idea was that from this chapter we can learn about everything we need to be a true follower of Christ, I believe this is just the beginning. That is, I don’t believe [...]

Jonah: “You are a gracious and compassionate god; slow to anger and full of love. A god who will stand down from sending destruction.” The Lord: “So then why shouldn’t I spare them?” (paraphrase) The Book of Jonah concludes with this doctrinal statement about God’s character. When our framework is primarily “Us vs. Them” it [...]

In a three-day speaking tour, Jonah proclaims a call to repentance to the people of Nineveh. At some point, the king hears the message and initiates a national fast. Ok, maybe it was just a city fast, but still a very significant initiative being that the city was the capital of an empire. As mentioned [...]

The second chapter of Jonah is psalm (song) written to capture the prayers of Jonah while he was in the fish for three days and three nights. It may seem odd at first that the psalm seems to have little to do with Nineveh and message to be preached to them. Nor does it seem [...]