One of the Beatitudes is “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). While I believe that phrasing this comfort as something received in the future … Continued
Beati-TWO-s?
|One of the most famous and beloved passages of Scripture is what is known as the “Beatitudes.” These are a series of statements that Jesus makes to begin the “Sermon … Continued
Fast Thoughts on Fasting
|The weeks leading up to Easter – the season people sometimes refer to as “Lent” (which comes from the Old English word lencten that means “spring season”) – is one … Continued
Two of My Favorite Books on Prayer
|Ecclesiastes 12:2 tells us “there is no end to the making of many books” (CSB), and this is definitely true regarding books about prayer as a quick search for “books … Continued
Why Do We Have an Ash Wednesday Service?
|Ash Wednesday services are something that some churches will hold but others will not mark or celebrate this day at all. Some Christians find the day and the imposition of … Continued
Paul’s Prayer Requests
|I don’t remember when or from whom I first heard the expression that “some things are caught rather than taught,” but I vividly remember one of my seminary professors, D.A. … Continued
A Few of My Favorite Prayers
|In the musical “The Sound of Music,” Maria famously sings about “A Few of My Favorite Things.” This song has inspired various celebrities to publish their own list of “favorite … Continued
What is Prayer?
|Last weekend we kicked off a sermon series at Faith Church on prayer, which we have titled “Talking with Jesus.” I like this title for a series on prayer for … Continued
The Need to Reaffirm (The Nicene Creed Part 5)
|2025 stands as the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, but it doesn’t stand as the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed that serves as one of our church’s … Continued
The Need to Believe (The Nicene Creed Part 4)
|Something I commonly say that my family and co-workers may even grow tired of me saying is effectively, “Every time we say yes to something, we say no to other … Continued
The Activity of Jesus (The Nicene Creed Part 3)
|Because the primary purpose for the church leaders gathering 1700 years ago at Nicaea was to confront and correct a false understanding about the nature of Jesus, the overarching thrust … Continued
The Identity of Jesus (Nicene Creed Part 2)
|As I noted in the previous post, 1700 years ago this year church leaders gathered together in the city of Nicaea (present day Iznik, Turkey). The primary reason for this … Continued
Looking Back 1700 Years in 2025 (The Nicene Creed Part 1)
|The start of a new year prompts us to look forward and think through what we would like to accomplish or see happen in the next year. A new year … Continued
Songs of Christmas: Once in Royal David’s City
|While we are now past Christmas Day, I wanted to offer one more installment in the Songs of Christmas posts here in 2024 by looking at a song that is … Continued
Songs of Christmas: Go Tell It on the Mountain
|The past couple of years, we have concluded our “Faith Kids Nativity Sing-along” Sunday at Faith Church Beecher by singing “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.” We picked this song … Continued
Songs of Christmas: Their Stories and meanings
|Pastor Brian has written about various Christmas songs over the years. Here is a full list of the songs that have been examined: Angels From the Realms of GloryAngels We … Continued
Songs of Christmas: What Child is This?
|One of my memories of Christmas growing up was attending the Christmas Eve service at my grandma’s church in Boone, Iowa. There are two songs that come to mind from … Continued
Songs of Christmas: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
|A tradition I started on this blog in 2021 was the exploration of the stories behind and meanings of various Christmas songs in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I’ve … Continued
How to Say Thank You
|There are many ways in which we say “thank you” to people. It might be through literally saying, “thank you” to them. It might be through sending a card to … Continued
Is All Sin Equal?
|A question I have been asked by a number of people in the past few months is this: “Is all sin equal?” The reason I think people, especially Christians, wrestle … Continued
Does God Have Regrets? (1 Samuel 15:11, 35)
|Over the past few weeks, I seem to keep hearing the same song on the Christian radio station I listen to. The repetition of a song on the radio is … Continued
