Posts Tagged ‘Philippians’
A Different Kingdom
Many non-believers accuse the Church of wanting to control our lives. They believe our ‘rules and traditions’ are designed to keep us down in the world. It would be much easier if we just gave in to the world and ‘blended in’ more to those around us. Then we would succeed. This logic is lacking…
Read MoreAdvance the Gospel
If someone were to ask you how your life advances the Gospel of Christ, what would you say? Does your career advancement bring the truth of the Gospel to new believers? Does your summer cottage or beach house inspire believers to live for Christ? Here’s what is strange about my question. For many Christians, a…
Read MoreLoss is Gain
It is impossible to read the writings of Saint Paul and not be convicted every time. One benefit of the daily readings of the Church is the daily reminder of how we fall short of God’s glory. Even Saint Paul admits his loss to his spiritual children. His loss is our gain. Brethren, I count…
Read MoreAll About Jesus
There are more than eight billion people alive today, and one-third are Christian. With nearly three billion Christians and more than 45,000 denominations, it can be difficult filtering through the noise and finding the true Church. We can’t all be right. Of course, I believe Orthodox Christianity is the true Church proclaiming Christ since the…
Read MoreWhy Do Christians Suffer?
Have you ever asked yourself why Christians must suffer? Why does God expect us to lose everything ‘just’ for Him? If God loved us as He claims, why not allow us to be honored and comforted now? What if I told you Christians don’t suffer? Would you want to be Christian? Brethren, rejoice in the…
Read MoreBe Blameless When Society Is Wicked
Sometimes we like to think is was ‘easier’ to be a Christian in the past. We read the stories about Church growth and mass baptisms. We then think of today. We can’t imagine the same stories taking place today. It is so much harder to be Christian today than ‘back then.’ Brethren, as you have…
Read MoreWe Long for Each Other
Throughout human history we have lived in groups and families. This is by design from God. “It is not good that man should be alone.” (Genesis 2.18) God wasn’t talking about super bowl parties. He wants us to help each other find God. We are meant for Communion. Brethren, God is my witness, how I…
Read MoreRepentance of the Mind
You’ve heard me in my sermons. You’ve read my words in this blog. Repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια (metania) which literally translates to change of mind. Although we think of repentance in terms of changing our behavior, until we change our mind our behavior will always remain. Brethren, I count everything as loss…
Read MoreBe Strong
Among the many struggles of being a Christian in 21st Century America is the reality that we are not living among fellow believers. Either we are among Christians who are not Orthodox, or we are among non-Christians. Worse than both is to be among Orthodox Christians who do not live nor believe as Orthodox Christians.…
Read MoreThe Destination is More Important than the Starting Point
Every society is faced with people at all levels of progress. It might be wealth, education, status, or even faith, but across every society we are never all at the same place in our development. For some that news can be comforting. For others, the same truth can be the cause of great frustration. Can…
Read More