James 5:13-20, “publicly confessing sin” [Listen]

Our culture today is desperately looking for real meaning, purpose, hope and relationship. This is GOOD NEWS for us here today – we have that to share. We have that to share in the person of Jesus and we should have that to share in our fellowship. God’s design is that we live meaning, purpose, hope and relationship! The problem is that much of what passes for Christianity today is nothing more than a different version of the world’s priorities and values. In the end it’s about the money, it’s about the “club”, it’s about self – how can we spin the Bible so that we can live for this world’s priorities and still talk like my loyalty is to Jesus and the Kingdom. Read the rest of this entry »

Matthew 5:31-32, “Jesus’ concise view of divorce” [No Audio]

There are very few things as painful – it is often more heart wrenching than the death of a spouse. Read the rest of this entry »

October 28, 2007 [Listen]

Over the last few months Community Bible Church has experienced a great deal of change (our move into a new facility / new people showing up every week / a dynamic, growing group under 30 years of age). Change is not always easy for everyone and can, for some, create anxiety and conflict. So, what I’d like to do today is step back and clarify a few very important priorities for the leadership of this church and hopefully for most of you. Read the rest of this entry »

Steven Cornell writes “Forgiveness is one thing; Reconciliation is another“.

“He said I am sorry but this is at least the tenth time! I don’t know what to do. I am told that it’s my Christian duty to forgive so I try to do it. But each time I forgive him, he changes for a little while and then returns to the same behavior. I have a gut feeling that I am handling things the wrong way. He never really changes and I just get angry. What should I do?”

Sound familiar? People facing circumstances like this must learn to distinguish forgiveness from reconciliation. Forgiveness is always required by God. Jesus clearly warned that God will not forgive our sins if we do not forgive those who sin against us (see: Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25). Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Mewborn writes this posting called “6s and 7s” about sharing our struggles with each other Read the rest of this entry »

Acts 2:42, “our fellowship together” [no audio]

Today I’d like to talk about one of those foundational elements of God’s vision for us – one of those elements were we can easily fall short. Today I’d like to talk about the way believers are called to fellowship together. Read the rest of this entry »

Andreas Kostenberger comments on “allowable divorce” Read the rest of this entry »

Matthew 5:23-24, “seek reconciliation NOW!” [Listen]

When Jesus shows us God’s heart for his people I am often amazed at how I fall short. Just when I think I’m making real progress, I see that I’m far from where I should be and, as is so often the case, Jesus would move my heart to a place I would never go on my own. Read the rest of this entry »

Three Great Relationships – Part 6 [Listen]

July 8, 2007 / Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 21-22

Today I’d like to talk about one of the ways every believer should engage and commit to the local church. While my point today is not to launch a thorough discussion of spiritual gifts, this is a very important topic that we need to bring forward. Read the rest of this entry »

Three Great Relationships – Part 5 [Listen]

July 1, 2007 / Acts 2:41-47

Today we’re going to look at those things that Luke said were important to the first church. The passage we are going to look at takes place after the apostle Peter explains to a large crowd that Jesus, the one they killed, was the savior they had been looking for: Read the rest of this entry »

Three Great Relationships – Part 4 [Listen]

June 24, 2007 / Philippians 2:1-8

As with most God-driven realities, they go against what we would think naturally. As frail, faulty humans, we tend to start from faulty, easy assumptions as we build our views. Scripture can help us correct that if we’re open to God’s heart. Read the rest of this entry »

What do you think Jesus really mean when he said, “Don’t Judge!”? Understanding this can help us interact better with those around us and connect with God’s purposes. Jesus doesn’t shy away from this issue that’s still very much a problem today. Read the rest of this entry »