Nihilism (the diminishing of the ultimate value – Jesus) has infected our culture. Instead of believing in Him and His resurrection, we spend our time arguing about Him and His accomplishments. We put Him into boxes that we can understand. We describe Him with language the pleases us. We question His accomplishments and who He is. The resurrection trumps [...]
Who is going to be in heaven…only Lutherans? Do you think some Baptists or Catholics might make it? Do they think that we Lutherans will be in heaven? A distortion has developed among Christians that Christianity is about having the “right” doctrine, the right teaching, the right lifestyle. We all read the same Bible and find ourselves fighting of [...]
The wisest, smartest man who ever lived is Jesus. He knew and understood human behavior. He did the right thing, with the right motivation, to the right degree, at the right time - every single time. He is the ultimate moral example. Jesus is the greatest teacher of “how to live.” Many come to see Jesus only in this [...]
Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. To be a disciple of Jesus is to be someone who serves. What happens when we see service as the highest good, instead of Jesus? What happens when our service isn’t even about Jesus? Without realizing it, our distorted perspective of [...]
Jesus loves me and wants me to have good health, great wealth, and success. While this is true about Jesus, what happens when I get sick? Struggle financially? Find success elusive? Does that mean that God does not love me? Should I stop pursuing these things-the “bling” of this world? Jesus spoke more about our wealth and worldly success [...]
It’s through Jesus we get to go to heaven. We see the cross and the empty tomb and we see hope for us. Still, though, as long as a person is sincere and does well, they can believe in any god and make it to heaven. After all, a loving God would allow for many paths to accommodate the [...]
Jesus is our friend, but is that all that He is? Does He simply cheer us on without ever challenging us? Does Jesus most desire our comfort and security…for us to be happy? The trouble with limiting Jesus to this role is that we have a non-Biblical/false understanding of good and evil where “Good” is linked to the comfortable/safe/easy [...]
In the life cycle of a family, actions more than words ripple effect into the next generation. Jesus has all the power to mandate people to follow Him, yet never once has He. Instead, His life was lived sacrificially for the good of our tomorrows. He models the ultimate impact of life on the next generation of Christ followers. [...]
Every parent knows the longing of their children for their approval. Interestingly, this need doesn’t disappear with age. In fact, it exists the other way too – parents want the approval of their children. All around, this silent need can create intense insecurity. How do we lead our families through this for the good of tomorrow? 1 Peter 2:9-10 [...]
One commonality across every family is the presence of conflict. Sadly, though, this leaves a trail of pain. A true winner never emerges from a family argument. What if there is a better way to resolve this struggle at its source? God offers us that way. James 4:1-3, 7-12 Pastor Anders Davidson [...]
