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)
If you have read every post in this series, thank you. If you identify as LGBT, I thank you especially. That means a lot to me that you'd spend time considering what I have to say when it's likely you disagree with me. I appreciate that and am grateful. As the title says, this is … Continue reading Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People? (4 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)
Welcome to blog #2 on this journey as I attempt to answer the question of whether or not a Christian ethic (or Christianity) is harmful to LGBT people. Thank you for joining me. If you missed part 1, you can find that here. I encourage you to start there as it gives some important caveats … Continue reading Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People? (2 of 5)
I usually write for the saints at Central Oaks Community Church here in Michigan. But today I am writing to address a topic that's part of a course I'm taking at Southern Seminary. The assignment is for me to write for those who disagree with my viewpoint. Considering the topic, I think it's safe to … Continue reading Is Christianity Harmful to LGBT People (1 of 5)
Church Family, As you probably know, we Michiganders are due to vote (among other things) on a proposal related to abortion on Tuesday, November 8. The proposal is called Proposal 3. Here is the proposal: "A proposal to amend the state constitution to establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make all … Continue reading Proposal 3 Is Barbaric and Damnable
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
Pastor Jacob’s Blog 