Fifth Sunday after Epiphany: Salt of the Earth

Dining in my collegiate cafeteria was always an adventure. Some nights were a hit (steak night), others a miss (King Ranch Casserole). Fortunately, tucked in the corner of the cafeteria was a waffle iron. When the unidentifiable objects outnumbered the identifiable substance of the casseroles, I retreated to the waffle iron.

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany: How Much?

Walking out of the grocery store, you hear the all-too familiar sound of metal scraping metal. Angling toward your car, you see a teenager staring at your fender. The damage is minimal but costly. When you identify yourself to the teenager, he apologizes immediately and begins to explain this incident can't go on his driving record. He has been driving only for a couple of months, and he is on probation with the insurance company. "How much will it take to make this go away?" he asks and reaches for a checkbook. Based on the sports car idling nearby, you assume he's good for the cash. Would you take the check?

Third Sunday after Epiphany: Christian Loyalty and the Key to Church Unity

I once owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix sedan and drove it nearly 200,000 miles before my growing family required a minivan. Early one spring, the automatic transaxle failed. Only first gear and overdrive would function, which made for adventurous driving! I finally managed to get the car to a shop. Upon explaining the problem to the repairman, he asked me how much time had passed since the transaxle was serviced with new fluid and a new filter. I sheepishly replied, "At the factory." He rightly asked, "Did you expect it to keep functioning without performing the necessary maintenance?"

Second Sunday after Epiphany (A): A Witness to the Lamb

Of the four Gospels, John presents what we call the "highest Christology." From the outset, the Gospel of John presents Jesus as "the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (v. 1). No mention is made of Mary and Joseph. No shepherds came from the hills to behold the baby Jesus, and no wise men came from afar to worship Him with gifts. While John recognizes the humanity of Jesus, this gospel writer wants us to understand very clearly, "Jesus is the Logos" (Word), and this Word is God.

Baptism of the Lord: Reaching Seekers

In 1995, Newsweek ran an article called "The Search for the Sacred." That article chronicled the rise in spiritual hunger among Americans. This hunger leads people down some very strange paths. The challenge for Christians is reaching these seekers with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Second Sunday After Christmas: Life as a Possession

The people of Ephesus would understand this portion of Paul's writing, "you were sealed with the Holy Spirit" because of their geographical location. Ephesus was a maritime city and carried on an extensive timber trade. Merchants of the neighboring port cities would buy the timber from the lumber masters of the area. After selecting their timber, they stamped it with their own signet ring, which was an acknowledged sign of ownership.

Is God Just a Human Invention?

As the New Atheists aggressively promote their own views in the public square, it is important for Christian leaders and thinkers to offer resources for believers in engaging such issues. Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow have provided a helpful resource in their book Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists (Kregel). In addition to the work of the authors, they have included supplementary material by several well-known authors and apologists, including William Dembski, Gary Habermas, Darrell Bock and others.

Healing in the Bible

What does the Bible say about healing? In the new book Healing in the Bible: Theological Insights for Christian Ministry (Baker Academic), Frederick Gaiser examines a variety of biblical texts which engage the subject of health and healing. He discusses the significance of the texts for the contemporary church's understanding of this topic.

Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy

The roots of evangelical faith predate the Reformation, and in Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy (IVP Academic), editor Bradley Green and a team of top scholars share essays about the most influential early and Medieval Christian thinkers. Among the theologians discussed are Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine and Aquinas. This is an excellent collection and a worthwhile addition to any pastor's library.