7 Questions About the Birth of Jesus

Imagine for a moment that you were present the night that Jesus was born. Perhaps you were a shepherd or a resident of Bethlehem who heard the baby crying in the night. What do you think you would’ve thought about the significance of that night? Why was Jesus born?

One of the most unique aspects of Christmas is that Jesus came and was uniquely born to save the world. The uniqueness of His birth is both mysterious and necessary for our salvation. Tonight, we dive deeper to understand why Jesus had to be born just the way He was.

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

In 1652, Puritan Pastor Thomas Brooks published a wonderful help to Christians striving by God's grace to put sin to death. His work was called Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices. It has been treasured by sin-fighting Christians for centuries. In it, he candidly and pastorally helps Christians see the strategies Satan often uses to tempt or lure us into sin. Paul warned the Ephesian Christians, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil," (Ephesians 6:11, ESV). The schemes are the devices Satan uses against Christians. Brooks' work aimed to expose those devices and provide remedies or helpful combat strategies against them. 

What is the Abomination of Desolation?

 Jesus said some pretty interesting things. He did not mind shocking his audience. After meeting a wealthy, respected, religious seeker, Jesus said, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God," (Matthew 19:24). The disciples were so perplexed at this statement they asked in astonishment, "Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:25). Earlier, when some kind friends brought a crippled man to Jesus, Jesus looked at the man and declared, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven," (Matthew 9:2). The religious leaders murmured, "This man is blaspheming," (Matthew 9:3). Suffice to say that Jesus does not mind saying some things that are at least interesting and sometimes perplexing.

So, what does Jesus mean when He says, "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains," (Matthew 24:15-16)?

Psalms and Prayers - A Family-Equipping Wednesday Night Model

What does your church do to draw closer to God as a family on Wednesday nights? I grew up in Baptist churches, and for as long as I can remember, Wednesday nights have gone something like this:

- Maybe a dinner for those who can get to church early enough

- A kids program, like AWANA (or going way back, RA's or GA's)

- Adult Bible studies or a prayer meeting

- Youth group activities.

I am not criticizing the wonderful work done through programs like these. Praise God for corporate prayer and focused Bible studies. Praise God for good children's and youth programs in which children and youth are helped to understand that God loves them from the Bible. AND, for us at Redemption Church, we came to realize that the programs were dividing us a little too much.

40 Best Books

Recently, a friend challenged me with a question - what are the 30 best books you would recommend for a pastor? I started thinking about those resources that God has used to particularly bless my life, marriage, walk with Jesus, preaching and teaching, compassion for others, and personal holiness. 

Here are the 40 books I came up with, and may they bless you: 40 Best Books.

Teaching the Kids to Navigate Life God's Way

 Life presents many challenging situations. Like a fork on a hiking trail, a difficult choice can be navigated one of two ways - God's way or some other way. Learning how to navigate life God's way is so vital, God gave us an entire book of the Bible to reveal such wisdom. The book is Proverbs. Solomon was the main contributor, as God's Holy Spirit inspired him.

If you would like to teach your children how to navigate tough choices in the areas of love, childhood, money, words, work, and the heart, then use this family devotion series to have important Bible studies with your kids. Each study should take about 10-15 minutes. Each night, we sang "Proverbs 3:5-6" by the Rizers (see video below), and listened to half of an Adventures in Odyssey episode.

Link for Devotional Guide: "Navigating Life God's Way" - A Family Devotion Series from Proverbs

A Question of Authority

How should Christians respond to evil generally and specifically? Jesus encountered evil men intent on publicly shaming him. What did He do? How did Jesus navigate that conversation? Today, Christians can learn a lot from Christ how to deal with real evil. And this is a necessary subject because evil persists until Christ returns. Whether considering the happenings in the United States or from countries around the world, Christians must first acknowledge Jesus as the second Person of the Trinity; and second, Christians must learn from Jesus how to navigate conversations with evil people.

For the full sermon, "A Question on Authority" from Mark 11:27-33, click HERE.