God’s Antidote to Gloom and Doom
Pastor Doug Dent
Pentecost is about power, but not the sort of power that pressures doom-spenders until they feel trapped in a pattern of excessive consumerism. The Greek word for “power” is a common one throughout the book of Acts. The word is dunamis, from which comes our word “dynamite.” Dynamite is destructive by its very nature, but […]
Keep the Change
Pastor Doug Dent
Revelation 22 closes with a beautiful reminder: “The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (v. 20). Our response to the promised reward Jesus offers should be one of anticipation and readiness. Just as we prepare ourselves for service in this world, looking to do our […]
Beyond the Stained Glass
Pastor Doug Dent
Today’s churches need to ask: “Are we in the church business, propping up the institution? Or are we in the Gospel business, loving God and our neighbor? Is the focus of our attention primarily on the inside of the stained glass among our own members or on the outside among people on the fringe? Are […]
Mysterious Manuscripts
Pastor Doug Dent
The Book of Revelation is full of otherworldly images; but Revelation is meant to be a guide that helps us align ourselves with God’s goal for human life, building a new heaven and a new earth. When Lisa Fagin Davis first saw the Voynich Manuscript, she thought, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” […]
Empty Net Syndrome
Pastor Doug Dent
What is making your life’s net come up empty? What conflict has torn a hole in your net, a ragged tear in the slender, knotted cords? What past mistake now renders your net incapable of holding fish? This story teaches us that before we can fish again, we must mend our nets. Fix the rips. […]
What Tempests Can Teach Us
Pastor Doug Dent
One day, Peter and John went up to the temple, where Peter healed a crippled man and spoke about the power of Jesus to heal and forgive. A group of religious leaders came to them, “much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead” […]
A Grave Situation
Pastor Doug Dent
The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that death is defeated, that God’s power is greater than our darkest moments, and that new life is always possible. The hope of the resurrection is for all who believe, and it transforms how we see the world and how we live our lives. This Easter Sunday, as we […]
Witness for the Execution
Pastor Doug Dent
We witness the execution by embracing a life of sacrificial service. Hebrews speaks of a ministry of encouragement and mutual support (10:24-25), one that involves meeting together, provoking one another to love and good deeds, and acting as a passionate community of faith. The cross is powerfully provocative as it calls us forth and stimulates […]
He Loved Them to the End
Pastor Doug Dent
There is a lot going this night. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We receive bread and juice to remind us that our sins are forgiven. We prepare for Good Friday worship, commemorating the day Jesus’ love for us took him to the cross. We feel the grief of Jesus’ death and sense the shadow of […]
From Palms to Passion
Pastor Doug Dent
On this Palm Sunday, we stand with the crowd and begin the journey from the triumph of Jesus’ entry to his passion and death on Good Friday. We will mourn his death, but also rejoice in his life, his example, and his work of liberation. The full Christian life accepts both palms and passion, celebration […]
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