Pastor's Blog

I n Philippians 4:8, Paul begins to drawn his letter to a close with one final exhortation, and it’s a very important one. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this to our spiritual growth because the battle for the mind is waged in the soul.  What do you do with your mind?  What do you choose to think about? What kinds of things do you allow your mind to feed on? The music you listen to, the movies you watch, the books you read?  That’s all input into the mind, and it affects the soul for good or ill.  What do you think about when you lay awake at night waiting to fall asleep?  Again, what do you choose to do with your mind?   This is where the battle is fought in our striving to be holy.  Paul writes in Roman...

Too often we expect positive changes to take place in one fell swoop. Whether in matters of personal sanctification, institutional reform, cultural renewal, or transformation of the political landscape, we too often look for one dramatic event that gains us a quick, easy, and permanent victory. But this doesn't seem to be how God normally works. The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come (Mk. 4:26-29). The seed doesn’t produce its fruit overnight. Maturity requires growth, and growth takes time. It is not the time to complain that no fruit is visible when the blade first appears. We should not despise the day of small things (Zech. 4:10). The Lord promised the people of Israel that he...