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Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter. We rest in His forgiveness. We rest in His righteousness. We rest in His resurrection. We rest in faith in the crucified and risen Christ. @ElyseFitz "The theology of the cross is the only theology that can bring us comfort because it rests solely on the God Man and not on ourselves." Elyse Fitzpatrick via @DanielBalcombe The law says: do this, and it's never done. Grace says: believe this, and everything's done. Believe and be comforted. Martin Luther via @DanielBalcombe Titus 2:11-12; 2 Corinthians 3:18. It’s possible you are expecting the preaching of the law to accomplish what, in actuality, only the gospel of grace can do. @jaredcwilson When I hear these words (it is finished), life ceases to be about my striving and doing and i...

5 Solas: Scripture Alone 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Introduction : We are beginning a 5 week study on the 5 Solas. Sola is Latin for alone, the solas were considered the foundational principles of Protestantism which was begun by Martin Luther in 1517 (Sola! Pg 3) The 5 solas are Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, Faith Alone, and Glory of God Alone. Each week we will look at a different sola and how it is important for us today.   But before we get to Scripture Alone, we are going to watch a brief introduction of Martin Luther and the Reformation. One Story vs. 14-15 ·          Vs. 14-Continue in what you have learned and become convinced of-why because you know and trust those who taught you. o    He knows that his mother and grandmother and Paul are trustworthy and they are the ones who taught him [1] ·          God has chosen to reveal himself to us in various ways (c...

This Sunday, I will begin a 5 week series on the solas of the Reformation.  What is a sola?  It is the Latin word for alone.  This week, we will focus on Scripture alone.  Here are a few things to ponder prior to Sunday: Read the Bible passage : 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Questions to think about: What was the Reformation? Who was Martin Luther? How can Scripture be central to our lives? If it's not Scripture alone, what can take the place of Scripture?  Helpful Resources Why the Reformation Still Matters by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester Sola! What Are We Fighting For? by Leann Luchinger and Heather Choate Davis Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation by Elyse Fitzpatrick Song To Reinforce Message: Word of God Speak by MercyMe

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter. When your heart is abiding in Jesus, you want to worship him. @pauldunk And once you get alone with God, you begin to discover that being with God – that knowing him and his love for you – is the best and most beautiful thing in the world. (Jack Miller) It's possible to be drawn to the Bible, theological study and discourse, and even to teaching, preaching, serving, and church -- yet be disconnected relationally from Jesus. If we are seeking "his kingdom" but not seeking HIM, then we are missing the point entirely. @scottsauls Without the words, “for you,” the good news, the Gospel, does not exist, only more rules. Without these words Christianity becomes meaningless. Jesus died for you. It is finished for you. The words “for you” are the m...

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the last few weeks.  This is one of the blessings of social media where we can hear the gospel from people all over the world. If you like the tweet, go and follow the person on Twitter.  Christ is the standard for everything a Christian should think about God. If something we think about God violates what we know of Jesus, what he taught, and how he acted, then that thought lies. @DrSteveWBrown Improvement of the world through political & social reforms is both necessary & possible. But it is carried out under the terms of Christian freedom, not according to the prescriptions of biblical law. (Martin Luther) “Sometimes the Lord shows us something that seems so wrong so we can change it. Other times, He shows us something that seems so wrong so it change can change us.” (C.H. Spurgeon) in Steal Away Home @aaronivey @_matt_carter  Bad News: Liberals and Conservatives are both sinners. Good News: Jesus wasn't either a...

Today marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing 95 theses in Wittenberg which began the Protestant Reformation.  Many key teachings came out of this event, but probably the most notable are the 5 Solas. In honor of this anniversary, I am sharing the 5 Solas with you today. 

The second breakout session was on Martin Luther's "Bondage of the Will" by Donovan Riley. Humanism focuses on our human potential.  Erasmus writes on the freedom of the will.  The expectation was that Martin Luther would write a response.  Luther did not want to respond. But his colleagues couldn't get him to respond so they asked his wife, Katie to convince him.  Martin Luther wrote it in German and Latin. People said about Bondage of the Will--You have written on "the hinge" on what everything depends. It's hard to understand Bondage of the Will without reading what Erasmus wrote. What does God's wrath feel like according to the Bible? According to Paul, it is free will. What is the bondage of the will? What our heart wants, our mind always justifies. Luther--The only thing we contribute to our salvation is our sin and resistance. Erasmus starts in the Law in the freedom of the will.  He did a word study on "free will". H...

Steven Paulson gets Friday afternoon started by talking about Martin Luther. He is a professor and Luther scholar. Here are some quotes: Matthew 4:17-The kingdom of God is at hand. We often get stuck on the first word.  We understand Kingdom = what we must do. Martin Luther was fighting over how we find Jesus.  And particularly what it means for Jesus to stand in front of us. Gerome translated Matthew 4:17 as "do penance" which led Martin Luther 1100 years later to Reformation. The church becomes a lending institution. "The gospel is not for sale"-Luther's argument at the Reformation. The two great monsters of theology: predestination sickness and evil. Luther discovered these are reasons people don't come to church. Luther is going to replace financial theology with promise theology. Luther's First Thesis-The entire life is one of repentance. We must learn how this happens in the passive tense. I choose you--Christ standing in front...

I sent R.J. some questions about his new book, Reading Romans.   Book releases tomorrow and there is a link to purchase below. Here are his responses: What is it about Martin Luther that intrigues you? Why focus on him? Martin Luther is a theologian that changed the history of the Christian Church. In a day and age when people couldn’t read the Bible in their own language, they thought grace had to be earned, and certain work was considered more sacred than other work. Luther unlocked something that had been lost. In our own day and age, grace is routinely overlooked as the message of the Church. Instead it gets replaced with a message of “do more, try harder.” God’s scandalous grace while not being earned by indulgences is often treated as though we earn it.  If you had to list the top 3 things about God or faith that Luther helps you understand, what would they be? The top 3 things that Luther has helped me understand have been the distinc...

Yesterday, I preached a message entitled, "Have to Vs. Want To" based on Ezra 3.  The notes were posted yesterday.  Today, I am sharing a song I mentioned as well as a picture I shared. The song is by HouseFires called "Good, Good Father" The picture is from R.J. Grunewald's book Galatians: Selections from Martin Luther's Commentary.

I am continuing to read Everyday Grace by Jessica Thompson.  It is a good book on how grace affects all of our relationships.  Here are some quotes from Chapter 2: God's grace comes crashing into the darkness of deception and blame-shifting. Instead of only giving judgment for their sin, he gives hope of redemption. This hope of redemption is the only hope we have in relationships. Either way, when we are doing well or doing badly, we are focused on ourselves. This inward focus will be the very thing that keeps us from the end goal of having a healthy, thriving, God-glorifying relationship. Owning our own mess will make us gracious toward everybody else who is a mess also...We won't withhold forgiveness, because we will see how much we have been forgiven. God does not wink at sin. He takes our sin very seriously, to the point of demanding that blood be shed to pay for our sin...God demands complete perfection, a complete fulfilling of the Law. He doesn't ask...

I have enjoyed reading a small book published by Mockingbird Publications called Law and Gospel. It is helpful in understanding how both words shape and influence the Christian life.  I finished the book last week so here are some quotes to think about: the Law must continue to convict us of our utter unrighteousness, and the Gospel must continue to save us...So where the Law is a closed fist, the Gospel is an open hand. Gratitude is a natural response to salvation. It does not require coercion or encouragement; to the extent that individual understands what has happened, gratitude will flow organically and abundantly from their heart. The precise form it takes will be different every time, but such is the nature of fruit. Belovedness can actually beget love itself. God's presence and promise are objective comfort, not to be conjured or obtained but only recognized. Thus the wild, absurd, unconditional truth of God's love in Emmanuel--"God with us," just a...

What is sin? If I had to define the word, I would typically say something like "missing the mark." This implies a focus on missing a standard which we naturally conclude to be the Law.  As you think of sin, what is the root?  I have always understood and concluded that it was a breaking of the law. The law's purpose is to crush and reveal our sin.  However, is sin deeper than breaking the law? I have started reading a book called Lutheran Theology by Steven Paulson because I wanted to better understand Martin Luther as the key turning point in protestantism. I know enough church history to remember his 95 theses, but really didn't know much more about his theology. If I had to summarize what I knew, it would have been "salvation by faith alone by grace alone." As I have been reading this book, a few thoughts have begun to percolate. They relate to sin and free will. Let's look at sin first. Luther defined sin as "incurvatus se" which means...

No, I am not switching denominations. However, since Luther was so instrumental in Protestant Reformation, I wanted to read more about him and his theology. Here is today's new book:

When I preached last week, I closed the sermon by talking about what Martin Luther called "The Wonderful Exchange." As you go into Easter Week, think about the wonderful exchange that occurred on our behalf by Christ's life, death, and resurrection.  Below is a picture of the quote I shared.

Below are my notes from the sermon I preached today at Hesston MB. It was based on John 18:28-40 and was entitled, "To Tell the Truth." Introduction: Do you remember the game show “To Tell the Truth”? Premiered in 1956 & ended in 2001 & the purpose was for celebrities to guess which of the contestants was telling the truth about an occupation or experience. This morning, I am the contestant of “To Tell the Truth”. I have put three statements on a slide. You are to guess which one is the lie. A.       Attended Michael Jackson “Thriller” Tour B.       Valedictorian of My High School Class C.       Have Most Speeding Tickets of all HMBC pastors   We naturally are seekers of truth.   We want to know whether what we are told in the media, by teachers, bosses, families are true. Today, our passage focuses on truth in a conversation between Pilate & Jesus.   Who’s Who? ...