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Have you ever noticed in the Christmas stories that no one ever says in the same place? Holy family, shepherds, wise men – they all are called step forth into uncertain yet amazing territory. God likewise calls us to step forward in faith to be a part of how God will be at work... Read More →

Spiritual inertia is the dominant factor in the spiritual lives of many people today. In contrast, God in the Bible is continually calling people to get moving! This is quite evident in the Christmas stories, where no one stays in the same place. Mary and Joseph journey to... Read More →

A happy new year from the United Methodist Church of Kent! Our New Year’s Eve service was based on John Wesley’s covenant renewal service, with participatory readings and responses. As it did not feature a sermon, we are pleased to present this sermon from our... Read More →

Can we hear “the voice of angels” today within all the din and distractions of our time? It is possible to encounter God here and now, as God comes among us. Read More →

The reason why many people do not connect with God is not because they reject God, but because they simply are not paying attention. God speaks softly in this world – not shouting at us or overwhelming us with might – in order to leave us free to pay attention to God or not. But... Read More →

It may often appear that we are of no account in this world. The rich and powerful call the shots. Yet God shows in Mary that it is actually through small and ordinary people that God’s purposes unfold. Read More →

Do we count for anything on this earth? Against the backdrop of world or even national affairs, it often appears we are nobodies. But the story of Christmas Eve proclaims precisely the opposite message; for God’s great work unfolds through the most ordinary people—a small-town... Read More →

At the heart of Christmas is an extraordinary proclamation that is unique in the history of world religions—God became one of us, or as the gospel of John put it, “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” (John 1:14) Other religious traditions have sometimes mused that... Read More →

The Bible says that Christ is “the Word become flesh.” What does that mean? It is in fact an extraordinary message, and one that can transform our lives. Read More →

If you have to climb the mountain of God, can you make it to the top? The good news is that God has moved the other way – God has come to us! We can experience God’s presence and grace in Christ, who is God with us. Read More →

How do we reach God? We are so small, so imperfect, and so finite; there appears to be an insurmountable distance between us and God. But the good news of Christmas is that God has reached to us! God has bridged the gap between ourselves and God by coming to us in Christ. So... Read More →

Does the world seem out of control, so often in the hands of corrupt, evil, or incapable leaders? The gospel brings a message of great hope and assurance – that beyond outward appearances there is One on the throne whose power is infinite, whose will for us is good, and whose... Read More →

Do you have high confidence in the world’s leaders? We have reason for concern! All the flaws of humanity are reflected in today’s rulers. Yet God’s Word gives us reason for hope—for the good news is that there is now a truly righteous King who reigns above all, and in whom we... Read More →

As we approach Thanksgiving, do we have real reason for thanks, or more reason to grumble? The Scriptures give us a whole new perspective. Read More →

It can be difficult to be thankful when times are tough. On the other hand, it can also be difficult to be thankful when times are good, because in easy times we tend to take our blessings for granted! The Scriptures guide us to realize that thankfulness does not depend on our... Read More →

Why do we do what we do? Usually, we are aiming for our own advantage. There is a transformation of life that occurs when we aim higher – for the glory of God. Read More →

What do you suppose the greatest king in the history of Israel said when he was at the culmination of his glorious reign? King David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord! Yours is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and... Read More →

Are you a saint? We may feel far less than saintly, but the grace of Christ changes the picture. Read More →

The shooter in Sutherland Springs was clearly among the worst of sinners, and we might want to think of those in the church as “the saints.” Yet everyone in that Baptist Church would have said that he or she is also a sinner, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of... Read More →

In a world full of trouble and threat, is there any sure defense? We can find strength, confidence, and ultimate triumph through Christ. Read More →

We live in chaotic times. From indictments to partisan bickering to international threats, everything that we see is unstable. Where in life can we find anything solid? In such circumstances, the Psalmist spoke timeless words: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help... Read More →

What is your purpose? Where is your life directed? Is there anything on which you would stake your life? We can find genuine purpose through Christ. Read More →

There has been a lot of debate in recent weeks over whether or not professional football players should stand for the national anthem. Is standing for the anthem the one clear way to honor our country? Or is kneeling a valid way of “taking a stand” for our country’s values?... Read More →

If we are to have any hope in this world, we need a Power beyond ourselves. We need God! But how can we connect with the Spirit when we are so embedded in a material world? The Bible declares that we can encounter God precisely within the stuff and the events of the world around... Read More →

God is both beyond this world and within it. We can encounter God’s saving power within the ordinary elements of our lives. Read More →

Human beings like to create hierarchies, but Christ levels the playing field. We all have direct access to God, and we all have an extremely important call. Read More →

As major league baseball teams head into the postseason, they are struggling with how to trim down to the 25-man roster. Only the best will play. God’s approach is the opposite. When it comes to “God’s team,” the roster is expanded to potentially include everyone; and everyone on... Read More →

Can you make up your own spirituality? People often do; but if we want to truly experience God’s saving power, we need to take hold of the answer that God provides – Jesus Christ. Read More →

Have you ever had the experience of wrestling with something, unable to figure it out, and then someone comes up and shows you the clear answer? You think to yourself, “If only I had known that to begin with!” Humanity is constantly wrestling with the big questions of life. What... Read More →

Are you good enough for God and for heaven? We all fall short. But we do not have to arrive at perfection. New life is possible right now – through faith. Read More →

Are you good enough to merit God’s salvation? Are you good enough for heaven? Fortunately, we don’t have to ask that question! The good news of Jesus Christ is that we are now saved by God’s grace—God’s freely given mercy extended to us through Christ—and we receive that grace... Read More →

“What must I do to be saved?” was a question once asked of Jesus. What is the final answer to that question? How can we experience God’s saving power, both now and forever? The answer in the Scriptures is revolutionary. Read More →

The central concept of the gospel is also the toughest for many people to grasp. It is the concept of grace—that God gives us far more than we ever deserve. We tend to grow up with an idea of “fairness”—that each person should get what he or she deserves. This carries over into... Read More →

How do we know what is true? In our day, people pick and choose what they want to believe based on their own personal preference. It is the fulfillment of what the apostle Paul wrote: “The time will come when, to suit their own desires, people will gather around teachers who say... Read More →

How do we know what to believe? Is all truth relative? Does God communicate truth to us, and if so, how? The Christian message is that we can know the truth, and, as Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” Read More →

You have a glorious future! But what if the present is not so great? Our ultimate destiny can shed new light on today and can inspire us in our earthly journey. Read More →

What does the future hold? When we look at the hate-filled racism being espoused at Charlottesville, or when we look at the antics of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, we have reason to be worried. We also may have personal reasons to fear a grim future—when we are facing enormous... Read More →

How do we get to heaven? Can people who are not Christians go to heaven? The Bible gives a clear – and perhaps surprising – picture. Read More →

Can non-Christians go to heaven? Some people offer simplistic answers to that question—on one side or the other. But many Christians wrestle with the apparent tension between the Biblical teaching that Christ is the only way to heaven (“No one comes to the Father but by me... Read More →

Will we see our loved ones in heaven? From the prophets to Jesus to the book of Revelation, the Biblical Word puts forth the vision of “the feast of heaven,” which tells us a great deal about the destiny that we have through Christ, and how we are to live with one another now. Read More →

Will you see your loved ones in heaven? Jesus’ answer to that is a resounding yes! New Testament images for heaven are all images of people in community with one another as well as with God. It makes sense—since, according to Jesus, the core of the Christian life is to love God... Read More →

“God desires that everyone be saved . . . for Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all.” (I Timothy 2:4,6) If God’s will is that all people be saved, does this mean that everyone upon death will enter into heaven? That cannot be, since God’s will is also that people have... Read More →

Many people today, if they think of hell at all, take it lightly; or they think of hell in simplistic terms. The real Biblical picture pushes us to think more deeply—to take hell seriously and to see the real hope that we have through the grace of Jesus Christ. Read More →

You don’t hear much about hell nowadays. And yet there are many places where we have hell on earth! What does the Bible say about hell? There is in fact deep wisdom in Biblical teaching on this subject – and real hope. Read More →

Is there a hell? We don’t like the idea of hell. It makes us uncomfortable, and since we would rather avoid uncomfortable things, we avoid thinking about hell. It also bothers us that some preachers in years past have used hell as a motivator—with a “scare ‘em into heaven”... Read More →

How can you know for sure that there will be life beyond the grave in heaven? Many today would doubt the whole idea of an afterlife. But the Bible points to how we can have confidence in the promise of life eternal through Christ. Read More →

Is heaven real? How can we know? Our age prefers empirical evidence when searching for truth, so people wondering about the afterlife are often especially intrigued by reports of “near-death experiences,” because these seem to offer eye-witness observations of a world beyond this... Read More →

What is heaven like? The Bible gives us marvelous imagery, which points to the real nature and glory of heaven, with implications for our lives now. Read More →

What will heaven be like? The popular imagination often constructs images of heaven that are essentially a personal playground—an unending extension of what people wish they were doing right now. But what a paltry sort of heaven that would be! The Biblical vision offers much... Read More →

Can human beings achieve heaven on earth? Utopian ideas and attempts throughout history have generally gone nowhere or ended poorly. Yet the Bible lifts up a vision of a better world, where “they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks—nation... Read More →