The Galatians were coming to the end of Paul’s letter,And suddenly the handwriting was different– instead of the well-formed characters of a professional scribe,• the printed letters were large and scribbled◦ this shift was c...

Years ago, and in another life, I had a feisty personal assistantAlthough she is genuinely compassionate, she had a favorite line: “Get over yourself”- I think that held her together through a hard and complicated season of her life<...

Paul has chased a serious concern through his entire letterSo it is not surprising that near the end, he would present an the ultimate challenge of the Christian life- in verse 16 Paul begins last segment of his central message• ...

 I assume most of us are familiar with The Message BibleOne of the more popular versions, and easiest to understand– Eugene Peterson did not set out to write a new translation• beginning in early 1980’s the U.S. eco...

If you ever decide to read the Bible all the way through,At some point, you will find yourself struggling to understand it– even if you’ve been a believer for a long time and read it before (or read a kiddie version)• a passage w...

For the last month or two, I’ve noticed a trend– people are using a “Jesus image” in a variety of video posts• like a famous celebrity, he’s immediately recognizable◦ there’s the trademark long hair and beard, the robe, and sandals<...

In the first half of this chapter, Paul scolded the GalatiansYou know how sometimes, as a parent,- when you're very worried about your child–maybe they did not arrive home on time• when they finally show up, your worry turns to a...

Do I need to mention that Paul does not try to hide his frustration with the Galatians?To our ears, his language--"foolish" and "Who has bewitched you?" sounds offensive- later on he will say, if they’ve truly taken...

Paul has shared with the Galatians a brief autobiographyHe completed it with a story about his run-in with Peter- when Peter first came to the Gentile church in Antioch,• he allowed the wall between Jews and Gentiles to collapse<...

If you remember from last week, Paul is telling his storyNow, at the end of his autobiography he mentions Peter (Cephas)– this is the only record of them ever having a personal encounter• as Paul approaches the primary purpose of...

Last week we ventured into Paul’s letter to the GalatiansRight away we learned that he was not pleased with these Christians- he accused them of deserting Jesus for “another gospel”• but he hasn’t defined that other gospel specif...

I’m going to make this simple, and show you what I see in the introduction to this letterFirst, there’s something different about the way it begins- in Paul's usual typical greetings he identifies himself, his title, and whoever else...

For a few weeks we’ve been bouncing around in ScripturesNext week we’ll settle into something more consistent,- and I’ve chosen to hike through Paul’s letter to the Galatians• but not today–• my talk this morning will be anot...

Pastor Allen was a preacher in Small Town, U.S.A. Relaxing at home one evening he settled into his recliner, pushed his reading glasses up to the bridge of his nose, and reached over to his side-table for something to take his mind off of work....

In May we completed our trek through the Sermon On the MountSince then, I have not felt a strong direction toward bringing another series- Nancy Lopez, whom I love and trust,• suggested that we go through the Minor Prophets◦ ...

The way Luke introduces John the Baptist has a familiar ring:“The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Lk. 3:2)For example: “The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri” or...

1 Corinthians 8:1-6  It’s not one of my favorites, but this time something happened- it was like I saw a glint of light sparkle from one of the verses• so I started digging at it◦ I took my investigation as f...

 Reading the stories of Jesus,Have you ever wished you could hear the tone of his voice?- for instance, I imagine a note of disappointment or sadness when says,“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,...

For some theologians and many believers,Paul’s letter to the Romans is the heart of the Christian faith- but what they see as the central message isn’t my favorite part• chapter 8 and this chapter speak directly to our need• ...

Do you have a favorite psalm; for instance, Psalm 23?Whether one psalm speaks to me and another one doesn’t,- depends a lot on my mood at the time I read them• the Psalms are moody, and some of them match my mood perfectly• w...

Jesus crossed an international border looking for restMatthew says, he “went away” and “withdrew”- he needed space where he was free from the desperate crowds• care givers have to be careful to care for themselves• otherwise ...

My grandchildren have been helping me with social media, by interpreting a slew of new acronymsAcronyms are abbreviations for phrases, titles, or names, using only the first letters of each word- for instance, USA, BTW, or RFK• a...

We’re nearing the end of Jesus’ SermonI think we must admit, there have been surprises along the way- but it has been a journey of wonder, skirting the edges of the kingdom of God• at the same time, the Lord has exposed us, to tr...

Before we explore what Jesus is saying in these verses,There are three issues that need to be addressedFirst:- belonging to a church family can sometimes be devastating• I’ve met people whose first real family was their churc...

Every Easter, until COVID, my dad would host a Sunrise Service(First at the Pacific Amphitheater and later the Verizon Amphitheater)And most every year he would tell the same story; this one about Mary Magdalene  - you might ex...