1 Cor 8:1-13
Category Archives: ministry
I’m not Tellin’ (Luke 20:1-8)
A sermon preached at Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA 11/10/19
Keeping the Commandment – 1 Tim 6:6-19
A sermon preached at Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA
9/30/19
Civility: Reconciliation ‘Lite’
“God…gave us the ministry of reconciliation…committing to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18-19)
In a moment characterized by unusually bitter and deeply-rooted strife, enmity, distrust, and mistrust, we hear frequent calls for a return to “civility” (cf. https://www.christianpost.com/voice/return-to-civility-american-life.html) when, in fact, only something much more profound – reconciliation – can produce the harmony needed. Continue reading Civility: Reconciliation ‘Lite’
Ordination
A Protestant View of “Apostolic Succession”
Does the validity of ordination depend upon the status of the “ordainer”? A former student of mine and current reader of this blog has asked me to advise her on this question, which, in turn, a friend of hers posed to her. She acknowledges that, while she has her own convictions on the matter, she cannot substantiate them with detailed arguments. The Continue reading Ordination
Eve’s Curse
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. Let a woman learn in silence with all Continue reading Eve’s Curse
An Appeal to Young Christians and a Prayer
Sometimes multiple needs coincide to offer solutions to one another. I suggest that the contemporary church faces just such a confluence of opportunities masquerading as problems. The church needs help; resources are available. Continue reading An Appeal to Young Christians and a Prayer
Mere Christianity
Lately, I have read about and heard directly from pastors who have been accused of being political from the pulpit although they thought that they were simply preaching the Gospel. We live in a time when people on both sides of the political spectrum stand ready to take offense. Continue reading Mere Christianity
A Time of Testing
“For it is the time to begin judgment with the household of God;if we are first, what will be the end of those who not believe in the gospel of God?”
1 Peter 4:17
How one negotiates times of crisis often reveal fundamental truths about one’s character. New Testament scholars identify 1 Peter, along minimally with 2 Peter, Titus, Hebrews, and Revelation, as “persecution literature,” literature produced during a period in which Christians faced oppression and persecution simply because of their faith. Typically, such literature admonishes believers, tempted to escape persecution by renouncing their faith, Continue reading A Time of Testing
“There are a variety of ministries, but the same Lord”
1 Cor 12:5 (NAS)
I acknowledged a calling to ministry my junior year in high school. To that point, my sole aspiration had been to play piano. Indeed, I continued my piano studies on into my first year in college when the demands of pursuing two degrees, a BM in piano performance and a BA in religion, proved more than I could handle in only seven twenty-four hour days Continue reading “There are a variety of ministries, but the same Lord”