Pastor's Corner

God calls us to examine ourselves (1 Cor. 11:28). He wants us to subject ourselves to the piercing light of His Word. With King David we should pray: "See if there is any grievous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Ps. 139:24). The natural man runs away from God's holy gaze. But because we're safe in the love of Christ, we should welcome His scrutiny. It is a...

"I just can't believe what is going on with so and so" "Someone told me that" Not many things are as destructive and divisive as gossip. Gossip is the silent killer that has slayed countless people in churches and families. It has destroyed friendships and damaged reputations. It is the nature of gossip to fly under the radar. Gossip is rarely exposed and confronted. But...

After drinking too much Ken fell asleep behind the wheel and caused a serious car accident. It left a teenage girl scarred for life. Weeks later he had an opportunity to meet both the victim and her parents. To his shock, he didn't meet resentment. Amazingly theymustered up the strength to forgive him for what he did. But he just can't move on. Ken has confessed his sin t...

We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people and we're one of them. These two factors are a sure recipe for anger. We get angry and we have to deal with other people's anger. It is such a universal issue that the Bible addresses it head on. It diagnosis the real issue and charts a course out of the muck and mire of our disputes and quarrels. Christ can redeem our he...

This question appears to be the sort of question seminary students like to discuss over a cup of coffee. Something that floats around in the realm of theory, far removed from day to day Christian life. But the issue is more relevant than we think. Our answer reveals our view of God and nothing else shapes our lives more than that. It also touches on one of the greatest pri...

Sin loves to rear its ugly head in relationships. No matter how far we progress in our Christian walk, we'll never be out ofMr. Conflict's reach. Even the saintly apostle Paul had his moments. It is true that not all conflict is bad. And it is also true that good can come out of conflict. But most arguments are destructive, aimed at overpowering the other person instead of...

Dear Pastor, I am sending you this letter to explain my regular absence from the Sunday morning service. In my opinion it's permissible to be absent from the church service for the following reasons: Christmas (the Sunday before and after) Easter (we're on vacation that weekend) Super Bowl Sunday (need to get ready for the party) End of the school year (our children nee...

Pre-marital inventories are pretty popular. They can be a helpful tool as couples identify strengths and potential risks for their marriage, especially when they are part of a Biblical framework. If you strive to have a God-honoring marriage, it's important to evaluate where you're at. For some reason, many couples don't continue this habit after they've exchanged their v...

It's unfortunate that many believers don't read the Old Testament. As part of God's inspired writings (2 Tim. 3:16) it offers much to followers of Jesus today. The Gospel message of grace didn't drop out of the sky in Matthew 1:1; it is sprinkled throughout the entire Old Testament. God preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham (Gal. 3:8) and Jesus said to the religious l...

As a father I am on the lookout for Biblical and practical input on my role as a parent. Books are great, but time consuming, especially for busy parents! But here are five short articles that I found worth my while. They address different parenting issues in a thought provoking and helpful way. Ed Welch is a speaker, author and counselor. His blogpost "Successful Parenti...