A Roman execution device isn't exactly a picturesque scene of divine love on display. It'd be the equivalent to having three criminals side-by-side in electric chairs. Or a firing squad having their criminals in a line with crowds watching and laughing.
“I literally want to poke my eyes out.”
At least that’s the way I feel anytime someone uses the word literally when they really mean figuratively. There’s no doubt that this has become a part of your daily conversations by now, somebody will show up to work and say, “That drive, literally, took me forever.”
Debts never just disappear. You can try to convince your creditor that you’ll do years of penance, but at the end of the day somebody has to pay the debt. Whether you are in debt to the bank or your in-laws, a debt is a debt is a debt. And debt doesn’t magically vanish; debt always demands a payment.
After an experimental treatment turns Wade Wilson into a mutant with healing powers–while simultaneously retaining his wit and a crude sense of humor–Wade Wilson becomes Deadpool and gives himself to hunting down and destroying the man who left him disfigured and ruined.
If you don't want God more than you want anything else, welcome to the club. This is the essence of what we are guilty of in the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods." Our affections and desires, our fears and our trust should always be directed at God alone
A week ago, as I was driving down the highway and witnessed an unusual scene. Within a mile of each other, two billboards were strategically designed to advertise their religion. The billboards had vastly different messages, but appeared to have similar target audiences.
There are two temptations that have the potential to undo the hope of forgiveness. The danger here is that it is so commonplace that many of us don’t even think about, yet we unknowingly cheapen the law and cheapen grace in our response to the confession of the people we are closest to.
In 1537, a reformer by the name of Phillip Melancthon wrote a document to confront the religious and political power in Rome during the Middle Ages. Melancthon understood that the power of the pope - claimed as both a divine right and necessary for salvation - was a threat to the Gospel.
Christianity is a crutch for the weak. We don't like to think of ourselves as being weak, we'd much rather consider oursleves strong, able to fight, and willing to endure the suffering and pain. We'd prefer that when others see us that they would be amazed at our ability to stay strong.
A couple of weeks ago, I had one of those days. I'm not really sure how to describe "those days" other than "those days." Work was exhausting - filled with tiring conversations, and overwhelming list of things to do, and not much accomplished at the end of the day. Coming home, I knew my wife's day was even worse.
The Law gets a bad rap. There is certainly a negative component to the Law. The work of the Law is very different than the work of the Gospel. If the Gospel’s work is to revive, the Law’s work is to kill. If the Gospel’s work is to cover over sin, the Law’s work is to expose sin. If the Gospel is the Good News, the Law is the Bad News.
When I was a kid, I dreamed I could fly like Superman. He was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able leap tall buildings in a single bound. The Man of Steel was untouchable. He soared far above the commoners - out of reach for those without super human abilities.
There is a large gap between what happens in churches on Sunday morning and what happens in the life of the average person on Monday morning. And this gap grows wider as the cultural differences between the values of the Church and the values of our communities are growing further apart.
When Luke begins the story of Jesus, he makes a simple historical statement loaded with implications. Luke writes, "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered."
Let's talk about light for a second.
