Category: Epistles

12-Mar-23 Romans 5:6-11 Third Sunday in Lent In this passage, the Apostle Paul, freely, gladly, and without any apology at all, uses four rather uncomplimentary terms to describe what we were like before we gave our lives to Jesus Christ. They are not nice, they are not pleasant, and they are completely offensive. And there’s […]

22-Jan-23 1 Corinthians 1:10-19 They weren’t paying much attention to the gospel. Instead, they’d gotten themselves wrapped up into a fight. I suppose we could say that this was the beginning of a very long and inglorious tradition. Churches have been fighting for over two thousand years, now, and in spite of what the Apostle […]

15-Jan-23 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 There are days when my sincere desire is to end it all in the same way that the Apostle Paul had hoped to end it. He looked forward, with deep and eager anticipation, to our Lord’s return, and he believed, with all of his heart that he would witness that return […]

11-Dec-22 James 5:7-11 Third Sunday in Advent It’s all about hanging in there, isn’t it? It’s all about Jesus coming back, and it is all about being patient while we wait. But waiting for something is always difficult, isn’t it? It’s hard work. And sometimes, it’s scary; like when we are awaiting the results of […]

04-Dec-22 Romans 15:1-7 Second Sunday in Advent It has been said that church is the only place that we willingly and joyfully and regularly go, where we will interact, fellowship, worship and do ministry with people that we would ordinarily have no other reason to associate with*. I’m totally convinced that this is one of […]

27-Nov-22 Romans 13:11-14 First Sunday in Advent This year, as we gathered around the Thanksgiving table it was very obvious to us that the passing of time had taken its toll. Around that table was a brand new generation. It was not the kind of brand new generation that is represented by small children, or […]

20-Nov-22 Col 1:15-20 All of us have images in our minds of Jesus that we keep and cherish. And, as our observance and celebration of Christmas gets closer and closer, and at a fairly rapid pace, I might add, some of those images in our minds will be switching over to a little boy in […]

30-Oct-22 II Corinthians 12:1-10 The Apostle Paul is in deep trouble with the folks who call themselves followers of Jesus and who live in the city of Corinth. They don’t like him anymore, and maybe they never did. Paul’s popularity in Corinth has plummeted severely. The Apostle Paul was the one who brought faith in […]

28-Aug-22 Hebrew 11:1-16 Jesus once told a parable that begins with these words: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?”‘ And we all should know that he tore down all his old barns, and replaced them […]

24-Jul-22 Galatians 6:1-10 There is no question that the Apostle Paul had a somewhat touchy relationship with the followers of Jesus in the Province of Galatia. At one point in this epistle he calls this readers “fools”. I am sure that that did not endear them to him, but the apostle is well known for […]