The Peace Of The Gospel
Have you ever had a panic attack? All of us know something about anxiety. We might even know a few tricks for dealing with it. But, I wonder how many of you have experienced anxiety to such a degree that you thought you were going to die. An estimated 2-3% of Americans have panic disorder at some point in their lives. Although I have not experienced anxiety to that degree, Pierce Taylor Hibbs has. He writes about it in his…
The Goal Of The Gospel
Randy Alcorn tells the following story: “In 1952, a young woman names Florence Chadwick stepped off Catalina Island, into the Pacific Ocean. Her goal was to swim to the shore of mainland California, 21 miles away. It was foggy and chilly. She could barely see the boats alongside her. Florence swam for fifteen hours. She begged to be taken out of the water. Her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she…
The Impact of The Gospel
One of the greatest joys of serving this church as an elder is the privilege we have to listen to everyone share their testimony. Each story is unique, but they all have that familiar pattern. If someone has grown up in a Christian home, there still comes that point where the faith of their parents becomes personal. Often times, the stories begin outside the church and it is not until a friend invited them to church that they heard and…
The Preservation of The Gospel
Gallup recently released a study that showed that membership in a church, synagogue, or mosque had fallen below a majority for the first time in the history of our nation! The decline seems to clearly represent an increasing number of folks who are abandoning their faith in God altogether. The line held relatively steady between 1937 and 1999, beginning at 73% and dropping to 70%. But, since 1999 the decline has increased speed losing an average of one percent each…
Servants of The Gospel
In the first chapter of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink! he talks about the concept of “thin-slicing”. Basically, it is the idea that you can make an accurate judgment about something after seeing a very “thin slice” of the overall picture. For instance, psychologist John Gottman can watch a 15 minute clip of a married couple having a disagreement, and with 95% accuracy, he can determine whether the couple will still be together in 15 years. Another example he gives is how we…
The Work of the Gospel
It wasn’t always controversial to suggest that the presence of police officers reduces crime. Numerous studies confirm this truth. After the death of George Floyd, when “Defund the police” became the primary goal of the Black Lives Matter platform, I was shocked how readily several friends of mine were to defend the concept. It was depressing to see major cities, with high rates of crime, reducing the budget of their law enforcement. The result of this insanity—as everyone should have…
The Paradox of The Gospel
A young seminarian was excited about preaching his first sermon in his home church. After three years in seminary, he felt adequately prepared, and when he was introduced to the congregation, he walked boldly to the pulpit, his head high, radiating self-confidence. But he stumbled reading the Scriptures and then lost his train of thought halfway through the message. He began to panic, so he did the safest thing: He quickly ended the message, prayed, and walked dejectedly from the…
Joy of The Gospel
It is becoming increasingly apparent to Americans that we are on the brink of another civil war. Enduring a year of violence and riots tends to make people pessimistic. Both liberals and conservatives are recognizing the signs. Most Americans do not trust the government or the media. And most polls reveal that a growing percentage of people are stockpiling for the inevitable war. One article suggested that three factors lead to civil wars and that all of them are present…
Worthy Of The Gospel
Circumstances are a powerful force in uniting people. There is an immediate connection when we realize that someone is experiencing the same thing we are. There is a sense of community. When someone in that community needs help, the rest of the group will rally around them. It was more than a decade ago when Brian Wood was killed in a car accident. He was hit in an almost head-on collision with another car. There were four people in the…