Today we finish what we began on January 1. This will be our final reflection on Paul’s letter to the Romans. Some Bibles indicate that the verses of Romans 16:25-27 do not appear...
Last Friday’s reflection was based on Romans 16:18. In this verse, the Apostle Paul criticized those who, in the guise of serving...
Several years ago, I was struggling to define more clearly my sense of calling. I had been serving the Lord as a pastor for many years. I loved most of my pastoral work...
In yesterday’s reflection, I talked about how we can team up with our fellow ministers of Christ through prayer. Today we will see from another perspective how serving Christ is truly a team...
Earlier this month I watched on television as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels won the NCAA Basketball championship. The Tar Heels dominated their opponents on their way to victory in...
In this section of Romans 15, Paul describes his apostolic ministry to the Romans, who, for the most part, had not met Paul at the time of writing. He is enthusiastic about his...
Beginning in chapter 14 and spilling over into chapter 15, Paul teaches the Roman Christians how to deal with their theological and lifestyle differences. They are not to condemn each other, but to...
As I noted in Monday’s reflection, the church in Rome was threatened by differences of opinion over what Christians should eat or...
Given advances in transportation and communication, and given the mobility of peoples throughout the globe, our world today is surely the most multicultural in all of human history. But the Roman...
When I was sixteen years old, I received my first driver’s license. That precipitated a moral crisis for me. I noticed that most of the cars on Southern California freeways exceeded the speed...
I grew up in a culture that was uncomfortable with sadness. When children cried, they were urged to stop. If adults broke...
Like most people, I enjoy hosting my friends. When people I know well come over for dinner, I feel relaxed and happy, glad to share my home with them. But as one who...
In Romans 12, the discussion of the church as the body of Christ emphasizes the way all parts of the body minister within the church. This passage reveals that every member is called...
About forty years ago, the church rediscovered its identity as the body of Christ. Millions of Christians were thrilled to realize that they had an essential role in their churches. Renewal came to...
If we are to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1), we have a crucial role to play. We must choose to say “No” to the ways of the fallen world.But...
Romans 12:1 urged us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. As Christians, we honor God by living for him each day, devoting our bodies to his purposes. Romans 12:2 begins with a...
My last two reflections have focused on Romans 12:1. I want to stay with this verse for a couple more days because it overflows with truth we need if we’re to experience the...
Almost all religions in the Greco-Roman world involved sacrifices of one kind or another. People would offer their gifts to the gods in order to gain their favor. If you wanted a successful harvest...
Chapter 12 marks a major turn in the flow of Romans. For eleven chapters, Paul has explained how God’s own righteousness leads us into a right relationship with him through Christ. Now he...
As we come to the end of the long theological section of Romans, including the often perplexing chapters 9 through 11, we are led to marvel at the mysteries of God, even though they exceed our...
