Pastor's Blog (Page 39)

This past Sunday my talk from Philippians was entitled 5 Safeguards Regarding Money, Gifts, and “Stuff.” Safeguard #3 was: Resolve that your money and “stuff” will be first & foremost an instrument for gospel advancement. Well, Richard Peters told me that he and his wife Jo did some hard thinking about their “stuff.” Are we really…

In just 10 generations from creation the debauchery and degeneration of Adam’s race rose clear to heaven. Genesis 6:5 records, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” There’s no dressing it up: “every intent… only evil……

Dear Woodland Hills Family, As you may know, I’ve been journeying recently through the book of beginnings (Genesis). With Thanksgiving upon us, I found myself wondering how often Genesis records occasions of thanksgiving. I found 22 separate instances of worship, offering, or thanksgiving! Beyond this there are even moreallusions to worship and thanksgiving. Reading…

The reign of death in Genesis 5 is punctuated with the story of Enoch. Each life before and after Enoch is summarized with, “and he died.” In sharp contrast, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” In case we missed it, the book of Hebrews spells it out: Enoch did not die. “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found…

Cain and his sons and grandsons kept themselves busy with notable advances to civilization: city-building, animal husbandry, music, and metallurgy. But Cain’s brother Seth took a different tack. Genesis 4:25-26 paints a sharp contrast between the two families. * When Cain had a son he built a city and named it after him. At Seth’s birth, however, his parents readily saw…

Need a little humor on this gloomy, rainy day? Did you hear about the family that got lost in a corn maze?  No kidding.  They became corn-fused. After they couldn’t find their way out of a maze of maize, Dad used his cell phone to dial 911.  “Help!  We’re stuck in a maze!”  Within 9 minutes of entering the maze, rescuers found dad, mom, and their two children.  No…