Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Second Mile Thinking

    Say you are driving your dream car (let’s say a two-seater sports car) and stopped at a stoplight, where you see three people standing in a torrential downpour. One is an elderly lady having chest pains, your best friend who saved your life in college, and you dream girl or guy. This is not a scenario unique to me; it comes from various job applications, and one answer went this way: “I would let my best friend drive the elderly lady to the hospital while I stood in the rain with the girl/guy of my dreams.” Inconveniencing self is a… Continue reading

  • Treasure in Jars of Clay

    II Corinthians is an interesting letter by Paul. It does not flow as smoothly as most of his other epistles, and we see a very emotional side of Paul throughout the book, particularly in chapter 2. He continually returns to the concepts of glory, of mercy, and of his own efforts as a minister in Christ. He spends much of the book defending his efforts, his motives, and his authority. In II Corinthians 2:17, he reminds his audience of his sincerity in teaching them. Paul’s Defense We can see many discouraging things in Paul’s letter – opposition from the world,… Continue reading

  • True Conversion

    To be converted is to turn away from one thing to deliberately turn toward another. It is a decisive change. To what then were you converted? We preach, “hear, believe, repent, and be baptized,” which is not a bad approach to take. The problem may be, however, that our approach converts people to ideas and teachings rather than to Christ. Conversion is a familiar term in the New Testament. Acts 15:3, we see Paul and Barnabas telling the brethren of the conversion of the Gentiles. In Matthew 18:3 records Jesus calling on his followers to be converted as little children.… Continue reading

  • Attitude Affects Altitude

    Some time ago, the Ashville, North Carolina’s tourism board ran an advertisement campaign that “Altitude affects attitude.” The idea is that going higher in the mountains makes us feel better. Conversely, in our spiritual lives, our attitude affects our altitude. It affects and reflects how high our aspirations climb. It is a powerful thing, and it is something over which we have complete control. It is surprising what we can do and what we can become when we set our minds to it. In I Peter 1:15-16, we are called to reflect God’s holiness just as His people were called… Continue reading

  • Paul, Philemon, and One “Illegal”

    At 460 words (in the ESV), Philemon is the third shortest book in the entire Bible. Only II John and III John manage a greater economy of words. It’s a small book in which little happens, and, in Bible studies in many congregations, it will seldom even get a full lesson to itself. I’ve found myself returning to this book time and again, however, while trying to decide how God would want me to interact with illegal (read: undocumented) immigrants as well as what my priorities should be if I become aware of someone’s undocumented status. Illegally Free in Rome I… Continue reading

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  • Putting a Smile on the Cross

    We often use emoticons in our text messages, emails, and status updates to convey a mood for whatever we’re writing. Often, we’ll use a smiley face to lighten the mood, to show happiness in something we’re sharing. Can we then put a smiley face on the cross? Are we drifting toward simply being a feel-good religion, evangelizing a God who will commiserate with us when we do things that fulfill self-interest. Instead of having a Father in Heaven, do we encourage the image of a Grandfather who just wants to spoil His grandkids and see the young people enjoy themselves.… Continue reading

  • An Earnest Hope

    Hope is what directs our footsteps toward our heavenly goal. It drives our faith and our service. I Peter 3:15 encourages us to be able to answer for the hope within us, encouraging us that we must be living as if we do indeed have hope, a hope others will see in us. In Titus 2:13 tells us we should be looking forward to a hope of glory. Our hope is an earnest expectation, a desire whose realization we earnestly wait. A Confident Hope Addressing those who did not believe in the resurrection, Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:13-19 that… Continue reading

  • A Dependable Faith

    In I Timothy 6:11, Paul encourages the young preacher to feel carnality and worldliness, encouraging him to seek after things like meekness, patience, and faith. Then, in II Timothy 2:22, Paul calls on Timothy to flee youthful lusts but to rather pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Then, in Galatians 5 draws a contrast between the fruits of the world and the fruits of the spirit, and verse 22 describes these good fruits as peace, love, and faithfulness. Having faith and being faithful repeatedly appear as necessary elements to our godly walk. The Necessity of Faith We understand the importance… Continue reading

  • Do Not Fret

    Psalm 37 is a Psalm of David that contrasts the ways of the wicked with the ways of the righteous. David is in a good position to comment on the things listed in this Psalm, for David really did face almost every high and low a person can experience in their life. He faced trials, violence, poverty, betrayal, and hunger alongside the wealth and power he would have later in his life. Many wanted him to fail. Many wanted him dead. Still, time and again in the psalm, David admonishes his readers to “fret not.” We worry about the harm… Continue reading

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  • Fulfilling the Whole

    Many Christians are familiar with the general outline of Ecclesiastes. The first couple chapters follow the author – very likely Solomon – searching for fulfillment in the accomplishments and possessions of this life, and none of these bring satisfaction. He then turns to various states of emotion, of intelligence, of sorrow, and ignorance. Throughout this, we see glimpses of the conclusion he comes to at the end of his book: The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Why should we fear God and keep… Continue reading