We all want to be winners. We all want people to think well of us. Common sense dictates that it is desirable to be rich (I Corinthians 4:8), prudent, strong, and distinguished (4:10). Much like the people of ancient Corinth, we modern Americans tend to admire the knowledgeable, the competent,…

Our year-long experience with COVID has forced many congregations to do what doesn’t come easily especially to us Presbyterians – to embrace change. Many pastors have learned how to livestream services, and to use Zoom for classes and meetings. Many dollars have been spent on cameras and audio equipment to…

Bible Reading for June 2 – I Corinthians 2:1-16 In today’s world, any point of view on any given subject is instantly available on your computer or smartphone. But with so many of these voices disagreeing with each other, how can we possibly know what to believe? Is there any…

What really matters in this world? Most people would look to money or power or knowledge to give them control over more of the circumstances of their lives. That’s probably why powerful, wealthy, or educated people usually get a lot of respect – they represent what most people would like…

To say that the Church is divided is a bit of an understatement. There are more than 60 separate congregations just in Claiborne County, Mississippi, and all too many of these grew out of disagreements. And then there are the many denominational differences which separate us, as we can’t seem…

It’s easy for Christians to be divided, falling prey either to resentment or envy or fear. It’s easy for us to keep our distance from Christians who are poor because we are afraid they’ll take advantage of us. It’s easy for us to keep our distance from Christians who are…

Bible Reading for May 28 – Romans 15:1-33 “If you’d just think about things the way I do, if you would just get over your unreasonable scruples, everything would be fine, and we’d have no more quarrels.” That’s undoubtedly the way the Jewish and Gentile believers thought about each other…

“Who are you to pass judgment?” This is the mantra of the modern world, and it has been used to justify everything from tattoos and piercings to sex-change operations. In fact, to many modern people, the only sinful thing is to assume that there are any universal, absolute truths that…

This passage poses a special challenge for American Christians. On the one hand, our independent streak makes us hesitant to be “subject” to anyone (v. 1). We tend to want to have our own way on our own terms. But today’s passage reminds us that in this sinful world, we…

So, once we know that God saves undeserving, helpless sinners by His grace alone through the work of Christ alone, how should we respond? Of course we should have faith in Him – but what does that really mean? And how should we live out that faith in everyday life,…