The promise that Jesus will walk with us is found throughout the Bible. One of the most well-known passages is found in Matthew 28:20, where Jesus says to his disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This promise comes at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus has been resurrected from the dead and has given his disciples the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.
Continue reading “Jesus walks with us.”The letter of Jude and the person are not well known to modern readers of the Bible. Most have no idea who he was or why his unique letter is even considered Scripture. I call his letter unique because of its contents. In the letter Jude refers to a book called “The Assumption of Moses” and one called “The Book of Enoch.” Do not let this cause you to think they are inspired or even worthy of your time to read them. Jude is simply referencing books that were well-known in this time to make a point about faithfulness and the danger of rebelling against God.
Continue reading “Introduction to Jude”As we begin our new year at Central Haywood we need to think about what we can do to help the church grow. Each of us is important to the overall growth of this church.
Continue reading “Finding your place within the body of Christ.”With today being Christmas day, I want us to reflect on the true message of Jesus, the gospel, and Christmas. Some might be wondering what I am thinking but bear with me and hopefully it will make sense. I have heard the phrase “Keep Christ in Christmas” more times than I care to mention and yet is this really the purpose of Christmas or Christ.
Continue reading “The true message of Jesus, gospel, and Christmas.”Talk about an oxymoron. The epitome of isolation and loneliness connected with what should be the epitome of family, purpose, and belonging. You may disagree with my choice of titles, but chances are, you were taught to be a “lone wolf” just like me. From childhood most of us were taught that all we needed to succeed in life was hard work and determination. We were conditioned to believe that we don’t need anything or anyone to attain our goals in life. We were raised to be lone wolves in life, in work, and perhaps most importantly, in our faith.
Continue reading “Lone Wolf Christianity.”At just 219 words, 3 John is the shortest book in the entire Bible. The size and them of 3 John is like 2 John. Both letters were written by the apostle John who is called “the elder” (v. 3). The sense of appreciation for their “children walking in truth” (vv. 3-4) also resonates in both letters. And, of course, both letters include warnings against church leaders who would deceive and abuse the church members.
Continue reading “Introduction to 3 John.”Five of the books of the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to the apostle John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James. The gospel of John; 1, 2, 3 John; and Revelation. Most of the early church fathers claimed these books as written by John and the earliest copies have John listed in the title.
Continue reading “Introduction to 1 John”All four gospels describe John as a fisherman from Galilee, son of Zebedee and brother of the apostle James. The book of Acts also tells us that he is a leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Continue reading “Introduction to 2 John.“How many times have you heard that sentiment? I have often tried to follow those wise words but often I have caught myself saying those dreaded words. It never fails that eventually I will carelessly say it and it never fails, I almost immediately regret it. I have often wondered why we use such ideas and why we inevitably regret doing so. Perhaps, it has something to do with the fact that “never” carries such huge implications.
Continue reading ““Never Say Never!”“
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