“The Riddle of the Resurrection”

Martin Luther once said, “God creates everything out of nothing; and everything he is to use, he first reduces to nothing.”  More than we know, this is an Easter statement—that of dying to self, only to be raised to new life. Jesus dies on the cross, only to be raised...

“When the Cheers Turned to Tears”

Palm Sunday, we’ll celebrate, we’ll wave palm branches and sing “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” as Jesus is paraded through the sanctuary.  Although the word “Hosanna” has a deep religious meaning in the form of a prayer requesting God’s...

“Recognizing the Messiah”

This Sunday I’ll share a story about a crumbling community that is transformed into one thriving with pulsating activity. The change didn’t come with rules or renovations, but rather with some simple words of grace that changed everyone’s outlook. Thankfully the...

“Us and Them”

One of my trips in college was to take a 42-hour road trip to Mazatlán, Mexico with five other guys. There are many fond memories I have of that trip.  We ended up staying in a two-star motel among the locals and walked to the beach every day to save on parking. One...