Only God Knows

There is a story about an old man in a Chinese village who, while very poor, was the envy of wealthy kings jealous of his beautiful white horse. These kings offered fabulous prices, but the old man loved the horse as a friend and refused to sell.

One morning, the old man discovered that the horse was not in the stable. The village gathered and called the man a fool for not selling the horse when he could have. They called the loss of his horse a terrible misfortune and lost opportunity.

But the old man said, “Who knows. It…

Am I really saved by grace alone through faith alone?

Or is there something I must do to secure my good standing with God as a forgiven, accepted, and loved son or daughter?

And if I am saved by grace alone, then what role do works play in the Christian life? If they don’t save me or sustain me, then why should I be at all concerned with whether or not there is any practical change in my life as a result of being a disciple of Jesus?

What about works?

This is the question James answers in James 2:14–26.

If you missed Part 1, catch up here. …

Am I really saved by grace alone through faith alone?

Or is there something I must do to secure my good standing with God as a forgiven, accepted, and loved son or daughter?

And if I am saved by grace alone, then what role do works play in the Christian life? If they don’t save me or sustain me, then why should I be at all concerned with whether or not there is any practical change in my life as a result of being a disciple of Jesus?

What about works?

This is the question James answers in James 2:14–26.

In you missed Part 1, catch up here.

Otherwise, let’s…

A Controversial Discovery

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany — and the Protestant Reformation was on.

That reformation was a rediscovery that reconciliation with God is not something that we achieve through human works, but receive through saving faith.

One of the chief slogans of the protestant Reformation was the Latin phrase sola fide, which means faith alone.

This emphasis on salvation being by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone was a response to what the church reformers perceived to be an error in the Roman…

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought during the first week of July in 1863.

If you are familiar with Michael Shaara’s historical novel, The Killer Angels, have seen the 1993 film Gettysburg or watched Ken Burn’s documentary on the war, you know that the struggle for Little Round Top was the turning point at Gettysburg, which many historians consider the most pivotal battle in the entire Civil War.

Little Round Top was a hill that became recognized by both armies as a critically strategic high ground in the conflict. …

A SIMPLE BUSINESSMAN

The 1850s was a decade of extraordinary tension. With the shadow of armed conflict looming heavily over the United States, labor strikes, economic depression, and failing banks only intensified the palpable air of simmering violence. It isn’t surprising that the dark cloud of civil war overshadows a lesser-known light in the mid-nineteenth century.

That light was the New York awakening of 1857. It is estimated that over two million people were converted to Christ with countless others renewed in their walk with Jesus. How did such a dramatic awakening take place? …

Our community ministerial association is hosting outdoor services every Tuesday of Lent at noon in a neighborhood park just off the downtown square.

It is an idyllic space. An open field surrounded by picnic benches, a playground, and a covered stage pavilion.

When you think of quaint, small-town outdoor events, Dahlonega’s Hancock Park is what enters your mind’s eye. Some have compared the setting to the town center on Gilmore Girls. 😁

This week was my turn to deliver the Lenten homily. The entire service is short — just 30 minutes. A welcome and a few announcements. A prayer, a song, an offering. Then the message followed by a closing hymn.

Last week was the first of our services in the park. It…

This could be a game-changer.

In The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miquel Ruiz makes a compelling case that there are principles that, if put into practice, will change someone’s life so dramatically that they would feel like a crab that abandons his old shell for a new one. While Ruiz is not coming from an intentionally “biblical” perspective, the wisdom he unlocks from his Toltec ancestors dovetails with the truth God has woven into the moral universe. I discussed these “four agreements” with my family over dinner recently and they agreed: these four concepts are simple but potentially revolutionary.

While…