The Rambling Disciple

I'll confess that this particular misconception is one I believed for a while several years ago. The idea of God giving up his divinity while on Earth in the person of Jesus appealed to me. It made the Incarnation seem so much more like a sacrifice and learning experience on God's part. It also seemed to gel nicely with a certain Bible passage that we are going to talk about shortly.  However, the idea that Jesus gave up being God while he was on Earth not only doesn't make sense it also completely devalues the Incarnation. It is, at its core, a way of simplifying the mystery. Before discussing why this view is errant we should examine the Bible passage it is based on; one of the central texts concerning the Incarnation, Philippians 2:5-11. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the ...

There are few things as important in the Christian faith as the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It stands at the heart of all that we believe and do alongside the Trinity, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. The idea that God almighty became a fully human person is a marvelous mystery that flummoxes many Christians and non-Christians alike. However, as central as this doctrine is there are many common misunderstandings about it. Over the next few weeks we are going to look at the Incarnation of Jesus. Specifically we are going to address certain common misconceptions that many believers have about it. These are issues I have heard repeatedly from many sources, many quite recently. Here are a couple of examples of some misconceptions that we have about the Incarnation. 1. Jesus stopped being God while he was human. 2. Jesus stopped being human after his Ascension. 3. God became human so he could better understand and relate to us. 4. Because Jesus was fully God, he wasn't really fully human...

 I am weak. There is no doubt about it. It is a struggle every day to live content in the presence of God. I constantly want more than what I have. I want to be able to decide my fate, but I can't. I am weak. Most of us probably have felt that same weakness in our lives. We live in a world that preaches strength of will, ability, and position. You are determined by your strength to accomplish what you want to accomplish and achieve what you set your heart on achieving. I think we've even let this mindset slip into our preaching and teaching in our congregations. The truth is that our weakness is an opportunity to lean more fully on the strength of God. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul says he pleaded with God to remove some weakness from him. The response is something we all need to wrestle with. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Do we recognize that our weakness is OK because we have God's grace? Do we treat our moments of inabil...

(This was originally a sermon preached at the Church of Christ Northwest on 9/6/2020) God is in control. I think this just might be our favorite thing to say, no matter the circumstance. When good things happen, we laud the fact that God is in control. When bad things happen, we quietly remind ourselves that God is in control and therefore the bad things cannot last forever. It’s a cliché that we pass around in order to lift our spirits. So, what does it mean? When you say “God is in control” what exactly do you mean? I think back to five years ago when my mother was lying in the ICU, breathing tube down her throat, IV hooked up, and a well-meaning person, doubtless in an attempt to comfort me, said “God is in control.” Though I remained silent in an effort to be polite and respond to the intention, inside I was anything but quiet.              God did not do this! That was the burning thought that scorched itself into my m...

The last three weeks we have discussed the three transcendentals, a concept from philosophy that helps us think about the Christian life in a new and helpful way. We discussed Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. All three are things we inherently crave and desire in our lives, and all three are ultimately found in God. Truth is about the real. Goodness is about flourishing. Beauty is about perfection. The challenge this week is to understand how we, as God's people, live true, good, and beautiful lives. How do we ground ourselves in the most fundamental reality? How do we flourish? What is the standard we are striving to imitate and attain? Finally, how do these three things work with each other? The answer to the first three questions is easy; Jesus. He is the Truth itself, the most fundamental reality. As Christians we must ground everything we do in Jesus. He is Goodness itself, the source of human flourishing and life. As Christians we seek life and growth from Jesus. He is Beauty its...