Not Merry, Not Jolly, Not Ashamed

The Grinch. Scrooge.  Two names synonymous with failing to be sufficiently gleeful during the Christmas season. Or, at the very least, names given to those who do not have the so-called “Christmas spirit.” The Christmas spirit is, after all, the mood of being jolly, making merriment, being joyful, “singing loud for all to hear,” asContinue reading “Not Merry, Not Jolly, Not Ashamed”

When Martin Luther Lost a Daughter

Martin Luther is one of the most famous men in the last 500 years. Seen as the fire starter of the Protestant Reformation, his actions are seen as among the most important to move Christendom away from Rome. Through his life, he endured many trials for his stance, the most difficult trial in his life,Continue reading “When Martin Luther Lost a Daughter”

Without the Resurrection, I’d be Sunk

Written 1 September 2025: Yesterday was a month to the day that the Lord called my Ambrose to himself, and Ambrose listened because being with Jesus is better than being here. I preached yesterday, and I was going to include the following but decided to cut it from the sermon lest I steal the attentionContinue reading “Without the Resurrection, I’d be Sunk”

Baptists: What Happened to Regenerate Church Membership? Part II

Many years ago, someone asked Dr. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan this via Twitter: “Can a person be a Christian without being a member of a church?” Dr. Keller’s answer was, in essence, “Yes, but not an obedient one.”  His answer was an important and instructive one. One can repent and giveContinue reading “Baptists: What Happened to Regenerate Church Membership? Part II”

Baptists: What Happened to Regenerate Church Membership? Part I

“If a sheep has strayed let us seek it; to disown it in a hurry is not the Master’s method. Ours is to be the labor and the care, for we are overseers of the flock of Christ to the end that all may be presented faultless before God. One month’s absence from the houseContinue reading “Baptists: What Happened to Regenerate Church Membership? Part I”

In Praise of Slow Growth

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller Life moves fast, and we like it that way. We, by nearly every measure, are a people who want things quickly and feel shortchanged if anything takes too long. Why won’t the traffic light change?Continue reading “In Praise of Slow Growth”