As you have read in my previous posts, my father was a pivotal person in my life. His alcoholism and his subsequent sobriety still has a profound impact on my life. On January 14, 2014, my father had an aneurysm and went to be with Jesus. Here is the Eulogy I gave for him at …
Testimony Part 2
Testimony Part 2 God is Good So much has happened since the Spring of 1995, which is where I left off in Part 1. From 1995 to 2000, I continued to work at CAB Health and Recovery Services as a detox nurse. Eventually, I wound up being the admissions coordinator. Lots of challenges! Our …
Sometimes Daddies Fall – Testimony Part 1
Sometimes Daddies Fall I remember the look on Karry’s face as we walked along the beach back in the summer of 1995. It was a look of hurt and betrayal. What was most disturbing was knowing that I had been the one to cause that look on her face. Our little boy, Ian, …
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Exegesis of John 9 Part 3
Exegesis of John 9 Part 3 Critical Discussion John 9 takes the theological concepts of darkness and light and presents an object lesson to illustrate what that looks like with ordinary people. The duality between light and dark is not unique to this chapter. This theme is carried through the rest of his work. Starting …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2 Exegesis In chapter 8, Jesus has just given the Pharisees teaching on light and that Jesus is the light of the world (vs. 12). Further, he includes knowing Jesus is to know the Father (vs. 19). After this, Jesus cryptically predicts his death (vss. 28-29) and declares that those …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1 Introduction In John chapter 9, Jesus performs a stunning miracle. However, John adds a “Paul Harvey” rest of the story narrative to drive home a point on who is blind and who is not. This story gives just a couple of verses to the actual miracle. More important is …
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12 The letter of 3 John is the most letter-like of the three epistles. John identifies himself as the elder (πρεσβύτερος) and identifies the recipient of the letter as Gaius. The identity of Gaius could be related to the figure of 1 Corinthians 1:14 and Romans 16:23, or it could …
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11 The brief letter of 2 John has the theme of warning against false teachers and heresies. John begins this portion of his letter by commending those who have remained faithful to the gospel (vs. 4). John continues in vs. 5 by using the same address to his audience in …
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11 During Jesus’ ministry, his adversaries were very concerned about keeping God’s commands in the Torah. So Jesus reduced the 613 laws of the Torah to two – love God completely and love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). The passage at hand speaks to the commandments of God …
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16 The context of the passage it is in the beginning introduction of John's apocalyptic message. He will deliver specific messages to seven churches after this passage; the purpose of vss.12-20 is to introduce the message. Specifically, 12-16 introduces the figure of Jesus using apocalyptic language. John has introduced himself …
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Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30
Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30 The passage at hand falls after the prologue, within the Book of Signs in John’s gospel after the Cana cycle of chapters 2 and 3. Here, Jesus breaks two essential first-century Jewish taboos: he was a man talking with a woman, and the woman was a Samaritan. As the …
Evangelism Part 7 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man
Evangelism Part 7 Three Unexpected Evangelists #3: The Healed Blind Man Continuing our discussion on evangelism, I turn now to the third unexpected evangelist in the gospels. Like the woman at the well in John 4 and the formerly demonized man in Mark 5, the man born blind in John 9 has a fantastic encounter …
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A Reflection on 2 John
2 John This word starts with the author identifying himself as the elder (πρεσβύτερος), and this has been traditionally assigned to the apostle John (Jobes, 440). Having the form of a letter instead of a sermon (which is more appropriate for 1 John), 2 John starts with John offering a greeting to his audience. He …
Women’s Teaching Roles in the Church
Introduction Recently, there has been significant discussion on the women’s teaching role in church operation. Beth Moore’s leaving the Southern Baptist Convention signified a final break with their restrictions about women teaching. John McArther’s address on Beth Moore was telling: “It is a state of disobedience on a massive level.”[1] On the other side, …
Vatican II On the Nature of the Church Lumen Gentium
Introduction The Second Vatican Council was an earthquake that started the process of the Roman Catholic Church awakening from its medieval slumber. The Lumen Gentium, promulgated by Pope Paul VI and delivered on November 11, 1964, brought clarity to Roman Catholics on the nature of the Church and how they deal with those of other …
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John Wesley’s Sermon #2: The Almost Christian
Introduction The foundation for all flavors of Wesleyan theology (United Methodists, Nazarene, Free Methodists, and the newly formed Global Methodists, among others) is the sermons of John Wesley (1703-1791). In these sermons, Wesley spells out the distinctiveness of his approach to holiness, salvation, evangelism, and many other areas of doctrine. In the sermon The …
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Evangelism Part 6 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #2 The Demoniac of Mark 5
Evangelism Part 6 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #2 The Demoniac of Mark 5 Continuing with our discussion on evangelism, I am looking at three unexpected evangelists in the Gospels. Last month we looked at the women at the well in John 4. This month we will look at a man whom none would ever think …
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A Reflection on Jude 5-23
Jude 5-23 This passage follows an introduction (vss. 1-4) in which Jude calls out persons that have “have come in by stealth” to spread teaching that is “ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master, and Lord” (vs. 4 CSB). Jude progresses to reminding the audience …
A Reflection on James 2:1-13
James 2:1-13 The passage at hand comes from the sermon from James, the half-brother of Jesus. The passage's context is in James' discussion on hearing and doing the word and controlling what we say (the tongue) (1:19-27). James enters chapter 2 with a discussion on favoritism. James' thesis is that the faith of Christ levels …
A Reflection on Hebrews 7:11-22
Hebrews 7:11-22 The passage at hand falls in the middle of the sermon to the Hebrews. Chapter seven starts with the author discussing the priesthood of Melchizedek referencing Genesis 14:17-20 when Abraham encountered the priest/king of Salem (Jerusalem). The author of Hebrews points out that Melchizedek had no lineage (instead of the Levitical line …
Justification by Faith and the New Perspective on Paul
Introduction Since the early 16th century, the doctrine of justification by faith (JBF) has been a center point of Protestant / Reformed faith and a bane to the Roman Catholic theologians. In the era of Johann Tetzel and his monetary form of salvation, the reformers rediscovered the force of JBF and the books of Romans …
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Evangelism Part 5 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #1: The Woman at the Well John 4
Evangelism Part 5 – Three Unexpected Evangelists #1: The Woman at the Well John 4 Continuing my look at Evangelism this year, I will spend the next three devotionals dedicated to some unexpected people who encountered Jesus and then went and told others about their experience of the good news – the gospel. The first …
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My Ecclesiology
Introduction My class in ecclesiology comes at a fortuitous time. Currently, my wife and I are looking at planting a church in our area. Although I have been a part of several churches and have a good deal of experience in multiple roles, this would be the first time we would be starting from …
Sermon Mark 14:66-72 Failure is the Beginning of Restoration
Hi all! Here is a sermon I delivered at Grace Community United Methodist Church July 11, 2021. https://youtu.be/YzEafSA4s-k?t=2258
Evangelism Part 4 – The Gospel of Boldness
Evangelism Part 4 - The Gospel of Boldness 2 Cor. 3:7-18 I am on Reddit quite a bit. I haven't posted there for a while, but I try and keep up with the "Ask a Christian" subreddit. In this discussion board, non-Christians ask a question to Christians. The goal is to be respectful and …
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The Eucharist and the Church
Introduction On the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus celebrated a meal with his most intimate friends. Based on the Passover Seder that would have been observed the following night, Jesus spoke the liturgy of the Seder while at the same time preaching the Gospel. After he had broken the bread, he told his disciples, …
The Covenantal Nature of the Church
Introduction When the people of God gather in worship and proclamation, there is an agreement that is understood. The corporate gathering of believers links the individual with the church. The Holy Spirit is the common linking denominator between believers. However, there is also a standard agreement of doctrinal beliefs, culture, worship style, and more. …
Evangelism Part 3 – Speak the Language Acts 17:16-34
Introduction When my wife and I were married in 1988, we embarked on a honeymoon that was a bit different than most folks. We decided to go on a student trip to Europe, visiting and studying in England, Western Europe, Scandinavia, Poland, East Germany (as it was known then), and the Soviet Union (back …
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The Biker's Wave 