The Bible is the world's most enduring classic. It addresses universal concerns of man, influences people's views on life matters, influences other literary works, and is reviewed by experts trying to mine the thoughts behind the book. I recently read an article on what makes a book a classic and I found myself seeing how the Bible met all 14 criteria listed. Even though m...
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This Sunday we started a new series on the Sermon on the Mount. In this introductory message, I sought to outline the whole message and to highlight the center section, where Jesus gives us the Lord's Prayer. You can listen to the sermon online. But be sure to listen with this visual aid. Discussion questions and additional resources can be found below. Discussion Ques...
Keep Reading The Sermon on the Mount is probably the most famous sermon ever preached, and for good reason. Its speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ; its location on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee is unique; and its language is both beautiful and profound. Even non-believers are familiar with many of the words Jesus spoke in this sermon. Yet, for as well-known as the Sermon is, it ...
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In many ways this weekend marks the start of summer and with that the chance to pick up a book or two that is not required by class or work. While the summer often provides some times of relaxation, it also provides chances to invest in things that are eternal. Here are five books that will help you read the Bible better. Each of them are available on the bookshelf at chu...
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The book of Haggai centers on God's great promise to restore the temple during the days of Judah's return from exile (520 BC). In this little book, there are four messages from the Lord. The second, third, and fourth messages in Haggai are all found in chapter 2, and respectively they speak about the temple (2:19), the priesthood (2:1019), and the kingdom (2:2023). These w...
Keep Reading This Sunday we began a two-week series on the book of Haggai. If you are not familiar with this little book, it is the tenth book in the Minor Prophets, and its four-fold message serves as a turning point in the Twelve, as the Book of the Twelve shifts from looking at God's judgment (NahumZephaniah) to the restoration of God's people (HaggaiMalachi). In this week's sermon...
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This past Sunday we finished our series in Nahum, our second book in "The Book of the Twelve." As we considered Nahum 3, we looked at comfort and vengeance. Those are not two words we normally associate with one another. In fact, our experience with vengeance of our own or another person's is the opposite of comfort. It is frightening, perhaps chaotic, out of control, and ...
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Last week we announced in our members' meeting that Jonathan Matas, with his family (Christy, Jadon, Elijah) will be joining our OBC family as a minister-in-residence. For our church, this is a new venture in gospel ministry. And because the concept of a minister-in-residence may be unfamiliar and the specifics may be unknown to some in our church family, I want to explain...
Keep Reading What did Jesus mean when he said, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34)? On Sunday, we considered that question from the book of Nahum. The connection between Matthew and Nahum is found in the fact that Nahum presents the sword of the Lord in all of its flame and fury, while Jesus comes to first extinguish the Lord's wrath in his own flesh. Then, a...
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