Ken

Bonhoeffer talked about "cheap grace."  Cheap grace is what offers much but requires little.  If we're not careful, we may be guilty of offering a low-calorie approach to discipleship.  It may taste great, but eventually it's also less filling. In 1 Peter 3:21, the writer addresses this matter by using a very interesting word: pledge.  Here's what he writes: "... and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." When you give your life to Jesus, you are pledging a good conscience toward God.  A pledge goes beyond a good intention or even a promise.  Peter uses a word that was also used to describe what a Roman soldier did when he joined the Roman army.  He pledged to follow the orders…

I've been working on an upcoming sermon lately regarding the Holy Spirit's role in prompting repentance.  In doing so, I came across this great quote from A.W. Tozer on penitence.  For those of you who don't know, Tozer was perhaps best known for his 40+ books.  Of those, The Pursuit of God is among his best.  I have a copy on my Kindle app. In the following quote, he talks about penitence -- a word we don't use much today.  It essentially means feeling a sense of sorrow for one's sins (see this definition).  Here's the quote: "A growing Christian must have at his roots the life-giving waters of penitence. The cultivation of a penitential spirit is absolutely essential to spiritual progress. The lives of great saints teach us that self-distrust is vital to godliness. Even while the obedient soul lies prostrate before God, or goes on in reverent obedience…

Learning to be a Christ-follower is about learning a new way to live.  Learning a new way to live requires learning a new way to navigate life.  Learning a new way to navigate life requires learning a new way to see the path in front of you. I call this reframing. Jesus taught his followers the principle of reframing in the Sermon on the Mount.  Here are a few examples: Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12). You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with…