Category Archives: Theology

Simply Jesus: Why other messiahs failed

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In chapters 6-10 Wright has been focusing on the what question. What did Jesus say and do? What were the miracles and stories intended to communicate? The answer in a nutshell is:

God’s kingdom, God’s sovereign and saving rule, really is breaking in, on earth as in heaven.

Wright looks at the teachings of Jesus (chapter 8) and makes several observations.

  • Jesus’ stories remind his hearers that the promises of the OT are coming true now, just not in the ways they expected. (storms #2 and #3 in Wright’s Perfect Storm illustration)
  • Jesus’ stories confronted the existing “forces in power”.
  • Jesus’ stories challenged his hearers. Telling them that when God becomes king, laws are not enforced more strictly but hearts are transformed and people are remade from the inside out.

Together the miracles and stories tell us that the kingdom of God and the renewal of all things is both a present and a future reality. Continue reading →

Wednesday with Wesley: On Preaching (Five Marks of the Sincere Teacher)

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John Wesley's sermon: On Corrupting the Word of God (Wordle)

John Wesley’s sermon: On Corrupting the Word of God (Wordle )

When we teach others our goal should be to help transform lives. John Wesley agreed. Wesley’s Sermon 136 (On Corrupting the Word of God) tackles preaching and teaching the Scriptures using 2 Corinthians 2:17 as his text. Continue reading →

Reflections on Prayer (James 5)

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Serving as an elder can be a challenge. As a group we try to serve this incredible community that we have the privilege and responsibility to oversee. Our goal is to provide an environment for people to grow and mature in Christ in a multicultural community. One of those challenges is helping others when they struggle. During these challenges, the elders are often asked to pray.

A passage that deals with this topic is found in James 5 (verses 13-15). In this passage those who are “sick” are told to call on the elders so that they may come and pray. Continue reading →