For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.Philippians 1:21What an incredible statement. A confronting pronouncement. A beautiful declaration.Nevermore so than in the age of YOLO. Paul says, yes, you only live once. But this life I live is not my own, it is for Christ. And the reason he can say this and live it out is because to lose one’s life is not a tragedy if you trust in Christ. It is g...  Read More

Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and ...  Read More

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.Philippians...  Read More

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,1 Peter 1:3We were at the dentists and the kids were one by one getting their teeth check and cleaned. I was reading a book while one of the kids was on the chair when someone said - there’s something wrong with the secret...  Read More

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.Luke 24:25-27Thursdays are for theology and for the next few months we are going to spend Thursdays expl...  Read More

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6Where do we find wisdom? Who can we trust? This has become a complicated question today.For instance, thirty years ago most people would say you can trust the news. But now, we don’t because there’s too many contradictory reports and we th...  Read More

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.Philippians 1:9-11What do your prayers sound like? Look like? This?This is Paul’s prayer for the Ph...  Read More

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.Philippians 2:12-13Our salvation is not simply a matter of believing in God until we die. We have been saved in order to love God and love pe...  Read More

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.Proverbs 27:17I consider myself a pretty self-sufficient person. I like to solve my own problems. I spend time reflecting on my life, my weaknesses and my strengths. I think about ways to grow and to follow Jesus more faithfully.Do you see yourself as pretty self-sufficient?One thing the last twenty-five years of being in Church has convinced m...  Read More

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.Philippians 1:3-6Have you ever started something that you didn’t finish? I’ve got a bunch of projects like...  Read More

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.1 Thessalonians 4:13-14I got news this week from an old friend that they had just been diagnosed with an agg...  Read More

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.John 10:27-29Before Easter we left something unfinished and I don’t like unfinished things. On Thursdays, we were working through TULIP, a...  Read More