Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.Romans 12:1-2We’ll do this one ov...  Read More

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.Romans 12:4-6Have you ever tried to write with your feet/toes? What about something crazier, have you ever tried to eat through your nos...  Read More

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to...  Read More

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.Romans 8:34A memorable scene in Lord of the Rings is the throne room of King Theoden. His advisor, Grima Wormtongue, has poisoned the King’s view of outsiders. At every chance, Grima whispers in the King’s ear, speaking against, well, eve...  Read More

Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.Ok, don’t get tripped up by the ‘God’s elect’ bit. This question is all about the nature of Jesus. To explain, let me come at the question a bit sideways.W...  Read More

“Who is this that obscures my plans    with words without knowledge?Brace yourself like a man;    I will question you,    and you shall answer me.“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?    Tell me, if you understand.Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!    Who stretched a measuring line across it?On what were its footings set,    or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning ...  Read More

6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:“By the decree of the king and his nobles:Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. L...  Read More

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect1 Peter 3:15We feel very uncomfortable with the idea of evangelism. Culturally and individually. And yet, if we do revere Christ as Lord, how can we not be prepared to love those around us with the good news of...  Read More

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Romans 12:15Have you ever felt like you had to put on a ‘front’ as you walked into Church? That somehow you had to pull it together and at least appear like everything was ok, no not just ok, but great :) I’ve experienced this. Why does this happen?Well, I want to take responsibility, sometimes it was my pride, I didn’t want to be seen to ...  Read More

7 “When my life was ebbing away,    I remembered you, Lord,and my prayer rose to you,    to your holy temple.8 “Those who cling to worthless idols    turn away from God’s love for them.9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,    will sacrifice to you.What I have vowed I will make good.    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”Jonah 2:7-9One of the hallmarks of previous generations was a dee...  Read More

For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful,I know that full well.My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your bookbefore one of the...  Read More

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?A. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.Westminster Shorter CatechismOurs is a tale of two estates (think household -...  Read More