As I was pastoring in the 1990s, the first hate crime laws were enacted in the United States. There was a great deal of controversy at the time about whether assigning motive made a crime any worse. It’s still controversial. I am not a prophet, but I remember predicting in...
Just over a year ago I referenced a sermon in an Afterthoughts article that I would like to revisit again. It is written by Timothy Dwight who, as you may recall, was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards and whose father fought in the Revolutionary War. You can immediately tell Dwight...
One of the nights I simultaneously anticipate and dread as a youth pastor is our Senior Appreciation Dinner. It is an evening of formal attire, glorious feasting, square dancing, and the giving of books and a charge to each graduating senior in our High School ministry. Looking at the faces...
The call to be a shepherd of God's flock is both weighty and wonderful. This past Sunday, we welcomed Caleb Klontz to the Valley Bible Church elder team. It was a momentous occasion, for we recognize elders only as God has chosen them for this church family (Acts 20:28). But...
The principle couldn’t be simpler. “If you love me,” says Jesus, “you will keep my commandments.” On Sunday we spent a good bit of time looking at the connection between obedience and love. Something we didn’t have time to look at, however, was the fascinating relationship between the obedience of...
"I have so much to do that I must spend the first three hours of each day in prayer.” —Martin Luther It’s astonishing to consider that Martin Luther would spend three hours a day in prayer, especially on his busiest days. For most of us, a busy day would mean...
What is the difference between Christ and “Cancel Culture?” Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the truth.” Jesus is the embodiment of the truth, the source of all truth, and the standard by which all truth is measured. However, we live in a cancel culture that has determined its...
The following is a series of questions and answers taken from the Heidelberg Catechism that reflect on the Bible’s teaching about the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. If you have no other tradition in place, this may be a helpful guide for personal or family reflection beginning on...
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)” begins this way. Is it possible to count the ways in which God loves us, or we love one another? Yes, in a sense. How does God love us? The...
Have you ever experienced exceptional customer service from a business? If so, why was it exceptional? Was it because your problem was solved, your question was answered, or your appliance was fixed? I suggest that there's more to "exceptional" customer service than just having your problem or complaint solved. For...
Have you ever felt the shame of missing an opportunity to speak on behalf of Jesus? Perhaps you were in a situation when someone said something derogatory about the Christian faith, or something that was wholly inaccurate about salvation, or denigrated those who follow Christ. At that moment, though troubled...
“Now judgment is upon this world,” declared Jesus in our passage this Sunday. It isn’t a new theme in the Gospel of John. Nineteen verses in this short book take up the theme of judgment on the world. Such a pattern indicates that it is an important topic, and one...
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,” taught Jesus, “it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Few ideas are as provocative and widely applicable as this one. To live in a fallen world is to live with the reality that...
Many years ago, I was working as a substitute teacher. One of my favorite classes was a junior high special education class. There was a particular young man by the name of Steven in the class. He was 15 years old but looked more like an 8-year-old. Steven was not...
Hope is built into this Christmas season of gift-giving. We take on the role of Santa when we ask our family members, “What do you want for Christmas?” It’s a common question. We are looking for answers for what we might give to others. Why do we need to ask?...
As I type this I am sitting in the Portico at VBC. There are wreaths on the walls, garland across long tables, and a small forest of Christmas trees scattered about. Out in the field to the north, final preparations are underway for our annual Lighting the Path event. The...
We have much for which to be thankful on this Thanksgiving weekend. Our Thanksgiving dinner is a mere token of all the good things in life that God has given us. And the most essential gift for which we must give thanks is our salvation, for in this all other...
When preparing for a message there is so often much left on the cutting room floor. Sometimes it’s additional aspects to the historical context, other times it’s the play on words or choice of language that are just so cool to explore but often lead down rabbit holes and bunny...
On Sunday we followed along as the Holy Spirit, through the pen of John, revealed the unfolding faith of a man born blind. It was a humorous series of exchanges between the man, his parents, and the Pharisees, but it was also a serious confrontation with real consequences. By the...
On Sunday we had the pleasure to study more of Christ’s great self-revelation. He turned the key in the lock of heavenly glories and let us peer within. The plainly dressed, plainly appearind carpenter from Nazareth declared that He is no less than God. He is the Lord over life and...