The phrase "the sovereign Lord" occurs 282 times in the NIV translation of God's Word. Want to guess how many times the phrase is used in the book of Ezekiel? Two hundred and ten! Of course, for God to be sovereign means that He has supreme authority. He's the boss. Why this phrase so much … Continue reading The Sovereign Lord
Rejoicing during trials seems stupid. I use that word intentionally not to be unnecessarily crass, but because our gut reaction to the idea of rejoicing in the middle of a trial feels that way. I mean, who, while enduring a vomit-inducing migraine will be receptive to someone saying, "Rejoice!"? It's important to keep in mind … Continue reading One Key Thing We Need in Order to Rejoice During Trials
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," so says part of 1 Corinthians 13. Can I put the word "God's" before those phrases? I think I can, since God is love. Read it like this: "God's love bears all things. God's love believes all things. God's love hopes all … Continue reading Dear Central Oaks (Part 15)
It’s finally time to finish this series of posts. I have sought to answer the question of whether Christianity is harmful to LGBT people. My thesis has been that instead of being harmful, that Christianity brings joy to LGBT people. If this is the first blog you’ve read, I encourage you to head back to … Continue reading Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People? (5 of 5)
Welcome to part three of my five-part series that seeks to answer the question “Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People?” In part one I laid the framework for this series and wrote about why this is an important topic to consider. In part two I shared my understanding of the traditional Christian understanding of LGBT … Continue reading Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People? (3 of 5)
It is “Pride Month” in our country. As people who “hold God’s Word as our highest authority for how we live and what we believe” (our church covenant), I thought it opportune to give a simple list of what Scripture says about homosexual behavior. Homosexual behavior, according to God, is: Reason for judgment from God … Continue reading What Does the Bible Say About Homosexual Behavior? A Simple List
This is a difficult thing to do. We are logical and hedonistic people. When God tells us to do something, we naturally consider the outcome of our obedience. Will our marriages get better if we confess our sin? Will our children be happier if we take them to church on Sunday instead of the game? … Continue reading Obey God When the Outcome Is Unclear
Have you ever been lost? My friends and I got lost while hiking in Tennessee one time. We decided to go off the trail in order to save time. Needless to say, we did not end up saving time. It was difficult to try to determine where we were without a clear path in front … Continue reading Lost
Hey all, I hope you’re doing well today and enjoying the sunshine. (Man, our weather is crazy no?) When we brought on Pastor Chris as a part time associate, we knew we wanted him to serve in more ways than just teenagers, but we didn’t know what that might be. After some discussion and prayer, … Continue reading Adjusting Roles a Bit With Pastor Chris
Well, church fam, you know me and my incessant need to want to help you and others grow closer to God and His Word. A few friends from the Free Will Baptists in Michigan suggested I be part of a board that focuses on Christian education. So I did, and what do you know, we’re … Continue reading Introducing: Navigate One Day Conference
Pastor Jacob’s Blog 