Sefab is a famer and shepherd in rural Haiti, living in the Grand Anse River valley on the southern peninsula. He lives in poverty, even by many Haitian standards. Much of his day is spent moving his sheep from one grazing area to another. One of the challenges is that there is no land whichContinue reading “The Lost Sheep: A Haitian Parable”
Tag Archives: faith
Self-Appointed Judges
What follows is a lightly edited written account of a sermon recorded and broadcast on May 13, 2021. We’re in the book of James right now in this series called The Intersection of Faith & Life, and our reading this morning is from James 2:1–13. And it reads: My brothers (and sisters), show no partialityContinue reading “Self-Appointed Judges”
The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
What follows is a lightly edited written account of a sermon recorded and broadcast on September 2, 2020. This morning, we are renewing our message and discussion series on the parables of Jesus. These parables are simple, illustrative stories and were used by Jesus to teach spiritual and moral lessons. They were used to tellContinue reading “The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard”
Solitude: All Oneness
What follows is a lightly edited written account of a sermon recorded and broadcast on February 3, 2021. We’ve talked about prayer. We’ve talked about fasting. We’ve talked about Bible study, and today, this morning, we’re going to talk about solitude. Now, each of these we’re treating as fairly distinct spiritual disciplines. However, there’s notContinue reading “Solitude: All Oneness”
Thoughts on a Christian Nation
The United States of America is not a Christian nation. For many Christians, that statement makes their blood boil. They recount much of what they’ve learned about the faith of the Founding Fathers. They also have specific interpretations of things like the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which reads in part, “Congress shall makeContinue reading “Thoughts on a Christian Nation”
False Messengers, False Prophets
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:16) “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguisesContinue reading “False Messengers, False Prophets”
What is the Gospel?
What is the gospel? It’s a different question than, “What does the word, gospel, mean?” The answer to the latter question is that the word gospel means good news. In this sense, any news you receive which is good could be denotatively described as gospel. Problems arise when connotation, or ascribed meaning, of the wordContinue reading “What is the Gospel?”
Thoughts on Kingdom Culture
By way of typical demographic phraseology, I am a white male. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. The time I grew up was a bit of a transition period of generations, if one adopts the language of contemporary American parlance. Formally I belong to Generation X, though I have some in common withContinue reading “Thoughts on Kingdom Culture”
COVID-19 and Working from Home
Quick thoughts about working remotely, with kids at home, during the COVID-19 pandemic: First, I realize and recognize that many out there have jobs where telecommuting is not a possibility. During this pandemic, tough choices need to be made. It’s not just at the government or business level that those tough decisions are made. EveryContinue reading “COVID-19 and Working from Home”
David A. Larson 