Men of the Morning Prayer Line

When we speak of Christmas in Biblical terms, we’re often flipping to the New Testament books of Matthew, Luke, and John. But today, we’re going to look at it from Paul’s perspective. Now, Paul wasn’t around when Jesus was born, nor was he involved in the earthly ministry of Jesus. And he most certainly didn’t see Jesus on the cross or at the empty tomb. So, his perspective is a little different from that of the gospels. First, I want you to think about the worst sinner you can possibly imagine. Who comes to mind? As you give that some thought, if anyone other than yourself comes to mind – then your heart is probably not quite in tune with God. Why? Because the further a person is from God, the more we tend to feel pretty good about ourselves. As we compare our lives to others, it’s easier for self-righteousness to take root. On the other hand, the closer a person is to Christ, the more we’re aware of our sinfulness. In comparing our life to Christ, we realize just how great He is! We ...

From the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8-12.  “For it is by grace you have been saved…not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There’s a lot of talk about being good this time of year. As parents, we even encourage our children to be on their best behavior and stay off the ‘naughty list.’  Why?  Because Santa Claus is coming to town! And as the old song goes, “He knows if you’ve been bad or good. So, be good, for goodness’ sake.”   Of course, this is all in the name of Christmas fun.   But we adults often adopt a childlike ‘Santa-mentality’ in how we approach our Heavenly Father. For example, in a recent survey of over 2,000 Christians, 52% “believe that good works will get them into heaven.”  Yikes. You’d expect this result from a survey of non-believers. After all, in our fallen world, it’s very common to think that as long as...

From the Gospel according to Mark chapter 1, verses 1-8 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you,     who will prepare your way” “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,     make straight paths for him.’” Amen to the Word. The Gospel of Mark paints a vivid picture of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus' arrival. This image invites us to ponder how we, too, can create a welcoming space for God within our own hearts. While the idea of "straightening the road" might conjure up a smooth and predictable path, our journey with God is far richer and more dynamic. We're not simply removing obstacles; we're actively carving a unique trail through the wilderness of our inner world. This journey doesn't require erasing every frustration, doubt, or temptation. Instead, we're invited to embrace the very challenges that ...

From the Book of James, chapter 4; verse 6, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Amen to the Word. Imagine an arrogant movie star or narcissistic politician. What faces come to mind? Now, those individuals definitely appear to have a pride problem, right? It seems almost too easy to call out egotism in others…while often minimizing its presence in our own lives. After all, adjectives like “smug, conceited, self-righteous” are pretty harsh when turned on ourselves. Are you ready to get real honest for a second? God opposes the proud because as long as you are living for yourself, attempting to build a world that is all about you, you are living in opposition to God. Now, not everyone lives with an obvious “look at me” mentality. But pride is much more than flamboyant arrogance and narcissism. In fact, I would argue that the more subtle that pride appears in our lives, the more dangerous it can be. Pride always leads us to wa...