If you're like me, today feels a little surreal...like, we all woke up in one reality but will go to bed in another. And it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of fact. So we wake up and watch, and wait. Really, it's an extraordinary experience. 

The History Channel has been running a hit series, now in its seventh season, called Alone. If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to watch at least one episode just to witness a fascinating human experiment on the mental and emotional breakdown that happens when people are, you guessed it… alone. Sounding eerily familiar? Sounds like the past 7 months of COVID.

When Paul says that you have been raised with Christ, he is using the pinnacle of salvation truth to imply everything that has led up to the reality of new life in Christ. This would include: God’s choice to save you before you knew Him (election)...

If you haven’t noticed, things are getting canceled today. From T.V. shows to maple syrup, it’s a very trendy thing to do. They call it, “Cancel Culture.” This movement aims to boycott or “cancel” anything that, to them—by their standards— appears unfair, racist, misogynistic, or demeaning. Practically, it’s social shaming based upon a perceived social aggression...

I started listening to the great Johnny Cash in college after a friend, whose musical tastes I respected, made a passing comment about how “legit” Cash was as an artist. Of course I had heard of Johnny Cash, but other than a few songs, I had never really listened to his music. I figured I would give him an honest try...

I started listening to the great Johnny Cash in college after a friend, whose musical tastes I respected, made a passing comment about how “legit” Cash was as an artist. Of course I had heard of Johnny Cash, but other than a few songs, I had never really listened to his music. I figured I would give him an honest try...

Paul is a straight shooter. I love that about him. Sorta. Want to shine like a star in the midst of a warped and crooked generation?Don’t grumble, argue or complain. Ever. Do that, Church-Planter-Pastor-Apostle Paul says, and his laboring for our joy and progress in the faith was not in vain. No pressure! But if we complain and grumble and argue, Paul wasted his time. Yikes! Sting a little?

Do you remember the scene in the first Star Wars film, A New Hope (technically episode 4 for all the Force Fanatics among us), where Obi-Wan Kenobi is fighting Darth Vader? It’s actually the first lightsaber duel in Star Wars franchise history. There’s this great moment in the fight where Obi-Wan, in true Jedi form, drops an epic line...

Paul lived in a time very much like ours. There was great turmoil, riots, social unrest, and struggles for political power. There was reason to be discouraged. There was reason to be overwhelmed by the evil that seemed to prevail. There was reason to want to give up. But Paul's final words aren't filled with hopelessness. 

Paul has shifted his emphasis from WHO WE ARE in chapters 1-3 (because of the glorious grace of the gospel) to HOW WE LIVE in chapters 4-6 (still because of the glorious grace of the gospel)! We are called to live as children of the Light. To walk in unity and love and purity and truth...

So I'm supposed to write a devotional on Ephesians 4. Which would be cool, since it's one of my favorite chapters in all of the New Testament.But I'm gonna pivot to tell a story about family worship that hopefully will encourage you.

Reading the New Testament is kinda like reading the end of a mystery novel. At the very, very end, you find out "who done it." Have you noticed how many times Paul has used the word "mystery" so far? He's used it in 1:9, 3:3, 3:4, 3:6, 3:9, and he'll use it again in 5:32 and 6:19. There's a lot of "mysteries" going on here, aren't there? And if we're not careful...

Some have called Ephesians the Magna Carta of the Church…Paul unveils such foundational doctrine concerning the Body of Christ. Others have called it the Mt. Everest of the New Testament…because Paul leads us to such breathtaking heights of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. Whether the Magna Carta or Mt. Everest, it’s worthy of our attention and worthy of the climb!

There's a repeated phrase in Ephesians that slaps you in the face if you see it. At least it did to me when I was a young preacher studying to preach it for the first time. Almost 14 years ago, late on a Saturday night, alone at my parent's rented office space...

Boasting. We’re surrounded by it. From celebrities to politicians, from sports figures to every other post on Instagram (well, at least it feels like every other post sometimes), we love to boast. And if we’re honest, all of us have an inner Conor McGregor.

Galatians is all about the Good News of Freedom. Braveheart-level freedom. And then some. If we could only see it, taste it, believe it, experience it, and walk in it.