“All Scripture is breathed out by God.” With this one simple phrase, Paul anchors his previous words about saving Scripture (2 Timothy 3:10-15 ) with the wealth of instruction still to come. And with that one phrase, massive dividing lines are drawn in Christian faith and practice. So very much hangs on our active belief of these few words. Scripture is not onl...

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote a pastoral word on the topic of denying oneself during vacation and unscheduled free times. Andy Muxlow encouraged me to consider the same topic with respect to the workplace. So, after enjoying Labor Day weekend, here I go. Instead of using the same passage (Matt. 16:24-27), I think another passage may be helpful. Allow Colossians 3...

The central message of Hebrews 11 has captivated my mind these last weeks since Shannon Hurley was with us: the topic of faithfulness. Verse 1 defines what faith is: the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. “By faith” is repeated 17 times in this chapter. By faith, we believe that God created the visible universe by His invisble wo...