Scripture - Philippians 2:1-13 First, I shared with him. Then, he got his own. Finally, he shared with others. You may be wondering, what in the world does this have to do with the Christian faith? Well, actually a whole lot, because that is precisely how it works in the world of faith. Someone shares his or her faith with us. Then, we get our own faith. And finally, we share our faith, our hope, & our love with others. That is what our reading from Philippians 2 is about. Pa

Scripture - Matthew 18:21-35 The song “Forgiveness” was written by Matthew West in response to a video he saw of a mother whose daughter had been killed by a drunk driver, Rene, & the young man who killed her, Eric, in which they discussed the power of forgiveness in their lives. Both spoke of the horrible circumstances that brought them together & that had almost destroyed their lives. Both spoke of sleepless nights, anger, fear, depression, & shame; but each also spoke of

Scripture - Matthew 18:15-20 One of the hazards of studying the Bible is that you sometimes discover things that erode some of your cherished, if naïve, beliefs. Just before this passage from Matthew, we hear the parable of the lost sheep. Comparisons between human beings & sheep are not really flattering. But when I feel lost, I do find comfort thinking of God as on the search for me. But as I studied this text this week, I was reminded of its historical context. This ch