notes from the road
Love the Lonely Among You
It happens every Sunday. I see them walking in. There’s a look. They are new. They don’t know where anything is or whom to ask for help. Their heads are on a swivel, searching.
Never Lose the Wonder of the Resurrection
In this short devotional on the Resurrection, Pastor Steve DeWitt shares from Philippians how Paul longs to grow in deeper wonder and knowledge of Christ’s resurrection—and how that same pursuit can lead to spiritual growth in our own lives.
Glory in the Manger
Like anything that involves a baby, the focus here isn’t the angels, the shepherds, even Mary and Joseph; all our attention should be on this baby.
“And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.” (Luke 2:16–17)….
You cannot break the Ten Commandments—they will break you
Most are familiar with Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 version of The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. But few have probably seen DeMille's first take on this Biblical story. It is wholly unique compared to all the various takes on the Exodus that Hollywood has produced over the years….
Overcome Sexual Temptation with Beauty
The key phrase here is, “put to death the deeds of the body.” The Greek word for put to death is used 11 times in the New Testament, 9 for actually killing people.[1] One example is Stephen, the first martyr, who was put to death. Same word. This is not a nice word. This is a bloody word. A word of execution. It simply means, kill it.
Killing Sin by the Spirit
The key phrase here is, “put to death the deeds of the body.” The Greek word for put to death is used 11 times in the New Testament, 9 for actually killing people.[1] One example is Stephen, the first martyr, who was put to death. Same word. This is not a nice word. This is a bloody word. A word of execution. It simply means, kill it.
Multiply Thyself
Timothy’s mother was Jewish, his father was a Greek. Immediately, Timothy looks like an unlikely candidate for someone to multiply into. First, his parents’ marriage was outside Old Testament law. In that day, to minister the gospel to Jews meant that you had to be in basic compliance with Old Testament law. Timothy had not been circumcised and the fact that he had a Greek father was common knowledge. Further, he was the son of a woman who married a Gentile.
The Spirit Empowers us for Gospel Witness
Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 2:4) Peter was filled with the Spirit in his response to the Jewish leaders. (Acts 4:8) In Acts 4:31, after prayer, the disciples were filledwith the Spirit and emboldened in their witness, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” And Paul was filled with the Spirit prior to speaking against Sergius. (Acts 13:9)
How to Create a Kingdom Culture in Your Home
Talking to our family members happens naturally. Having spiritual content to those conversations doesn’t. God knew this and made it a command in Israel. We can talk about the weather all we want, but bring up something spiritual and you get…crickets. Kingdom culture requires kingdom conversations. Not only is it an opportunity to teach our children, but the conversation itself elevates the culture of the home toward the things of God.
How often do you talk about spiritual things? Talk about what God’s doing in your life or our church? How often did you talk about it this past week?
Is Grace Permission to Sin?
There is a word used to describe people who take the position that the Christian has no responsibility to obedience yet remains under the grace of God.
Antinomian = Anti (No) Nomos (Law)
Nobody thinks they are antinomian. There are no antinomian societies. Nobody introduces themselves as an antinomian: Hi, I’m Bob, I’m an antinomian. Everybody presents themselves as champions of grace. Their books have grace in the name. They sing Amazing Grace with gusto. The issue is whether obedience or sanctification are necessary byproducts of genuine saving faith….
The Justified Marriage
What do we bear with for the sake of peace? The little daily annoyances, personality traits, and preference matters. They don’t rise to the level of calling for a peace summit. When we make a big stink out of an insignificant thing we come across as petty, which only makes actual peace harder. What should we do with the non-sin idiosyncrasies everybody has?….
Family Math: Division
What do we bear with for the sake of peace? The little daily annoyances, personality traits, and preference matters. They don’t rise to the level of calling for a peace summit. When we make a big stink out of an insignificant thing we come across as petty, which only makes actual peace harder. What should we do with the non-sin idiosyncrasies everybody has?….
Advent Reading Guide - To You, From Above
To You, From Above
It’s hard to think of Christmas without thinking of gifts. If you close your eyes and think back to your earliest memories of Christmas, perhaps there’s a tree, some family, a hazy detail of food. Most likely, though, you can remember clear as day the feeling of excitement when you discovered a gift had your name on it.
Money, a Little Man, and Jesus
By Steve DeWitt
If Christ was already supreme in eternity past, what did his actions for us do to magnify his supremacy?
Whenever we talk about the Trinity, many people check out and say, I can’t understand it all so I don’t want to think about it. Yet we don’t do that with other things. We don’t look at the ocean and say, because I can’t see all of it, I won’t enjoy any of it. Or if I can’t see all the sky I won’t enjoy the sunset….
On Mission with (My) Money
By Steve DeWitt
If Christ was already supreme in eternity past, what did his actions for us do to magnify his supremacy?
Whenever we talk about the Trinity, many people check out and say, I can’t understand it all so I don’t want to think about it. Yet we don’t do that with other things. We don’t look at the ocean and say, because I can’t see all of it, I won’t enjoy any of it. Or if I can’t see all the sky I won’t enjoy the sunset….
The Foolish Rich Man
By Steve DeWitt
In Luke 12:13-21 we see a familiar and contemporary struggle – a family fighting over inheritance money. My extended family has had a drama like this. Maybe you can relate.
“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
The Eighth Command: The Generous Life
By Steve DeWitt
The Generosity of God Seen in Salvation
“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15 ESV)
The gospel is the exact opposite of stealing. Not only does God not steal, he gives to the undeserving. Jesus gave by emptying himself of the glorious privileges that were his as God. This includes his humiliation in becoming human. Not only did God become one of us, but he gave his very life for us. Romans 8:32 says, “[God] did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.”
The Supremacy of Christ
By Steve DeWitt
If Christ was already supreme in eternity past, what did his actions for us do to magnify his supremacy?
Whenever we talk about the Trinity, many people check out and say, I can’t understand it all so I don’t want to think about it. Yet we don’t do that with other things. We don’t look at the ocean and say, because I can’t see all of it, I won’t enjoy any of it. Or if I can’t see all the sky I won’t enjoy the sunset….
Freedom and Life in the Holy Spirit
By Steve DeWitt
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 ESV)
Here are two motivations with two very different results. The flesh leads to death. Yes, physical death, but even in life the flesh-led life is a kind of dying. Death is separation and distortion of who we were made to be. Sin takes us further and further from God’s good purposes and blessings. Sin is a long path away from God.
When We’ve Been Wronged
By Steve DeWitt
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17–21 ESV).
“Heap burning coals on their head.” It is debated what this means, but in context it must mean that kindness instead of vengeance exposes the other person’s hatred even more starkly. This may lead them to shame or remorse and even reconciliation.