The Three Cs

This was the first sermon I preached to an actual congregation ... in that case, Ascension Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in March 2016. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 You’ve gotta love firsts. We cherish the first day of school, first communion, and our first anniversary. We love first place, our first paychecks, our first cars, our first houses, the first man on the moon. And if you are like me, some of you will remember the first time you went to church and how hearing the Gospel for the first time became so life-changing. Now, I’m not sure why I chose this for my first sermon. There is a concept in our epistle reading that is so big, that has so many syllables, I spent nearly my first week of preparation merely trying to wrap my head around it. I’m talking about the ministry of reconciliation. THAT is a mouthful of syllables. But to say it simply, the ministry of reconciliation is this: God followed through on HIS first priority: restoring creation and his relationship with us, thr...

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I won't have a lot of time to spend blogging in the next couple of weeks; I am taking a minimester in psychology at ICC through the end of May to pick up what I hope are the final three social science hours I need to qualify academically at Concordia Seminary. If you have never taken a minimester (this is my first), well, understand tha...

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. I have been seeing this a lot of my readings of late. Watch out, Paul shouts, again. Watch out for the Judaizers! (Gal. 2:4) Watch out for the Pharisees! (Phil. 3:5) Watch out for the Gnostics! Watch out for the false teachers! (2 Cor. 11:4). Watch out! Don't be deceived. There is only one path to heaven, Paul is reminding us, again. And that is, Jesus (Col. 1:13-14). Christ lived for you! Christ died for you! And now, Christ lives for you! That's right, Christ LIVES for you! Jesus was dead (John 19:33-34). He was rotting in the grave (John 19:42). But now he is alive (John 20:27). The Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8), the creator of the world (Col. 1:16, Gen. 1:1), the Living Word, who was with God and was God (John 1:1-2), was dead but is now alive, and most importantly, lives in you (Col....