“Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Proverbs 12:18 [NET] This verse is built on a recognition of the power of words. And the couplet begins with a warning about the destructive power of words. It is very tempting to launch out now on a … Continue reading Bible Note #41: Building Up and Healing with Words
Tag: creation
Bible Note #20 — Deuteronomy 22:6-7 and Cruelty to the Vulnerable and Weak
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 [ESV] “If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it … Continue reading Bible Note #20 — Deuteronomy 22:6-7 and Cruelty to the Vulnerable and Weak
Sermon #61 — Healing and the Mission of God: The Healing Purpose of God
Our natural and unashamed expectation should be that where the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, healing -- miraculous, supernatural healing -- should be present. Although it is the case that miraculous healings can and do serve as confirmation of the truthfulness of the preaching, that isn't the more important reason why gospel preaching and … Continue reading Sermon #61 — Healing and the Mission of God: The Healing Purpose of God
Quotes of Note #1 Healing and Redemption
". . . Jesus is working to restore the original vision of creation. Jesus starts from the innermost part of us, the seat of our relationship with God, and works outward to include our physical being. This process is like what [C. S.] Lewis called 'death working backwards,' as the ravaging effects of the Fall … Continue reading Quotes of Note #1 Healing and Redemption
Sermon #52–The People of the Presence of God
"The People of the Presence of God: a Christmas Sermon" Human beings are made for God. That isn't a widely acknowledged truth. It certainly isn't the mainstream view in Western culture, but it's the truth just the same. We're designed for relationship with God, and that truth is nowhere more clearly expressed than in … Continue reading Sermon #52–The People of the Presence of God
Sermon #48 — “Words from the Beloved Apostle: Love, Obedience, and Power” — 1 John 5:1-5
“So, without love, there can be no hearty submission to the will of God, and there can be no real and heartfelt trust and confidence in him.” Jonathan Edwards In Christ, God has victoriously asserted this redeeming power over the fallen world to set it right, a work into which he calls us to be … Continue reading Sermon #48 — “Words from the Beloved Apostle: Love, Obedience, and Power” — 1 John 5:1-5
Sermon #36 — Our God of Power: Creation — Colossians 1:15-20
“…theological realism: the simple, basic belief that God is that ultimate reality out of which all physical realities around us derive their existence, and that his real presence is immediately accessible to his people.” Gary Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission, p. 112 There is no moment, no place, no aspect of the created order … Continue reading Sermon #36 — Our God of Power: Creation — Colossians 1:15-20
Prayer Note #35 — A Prayer for Artists and Artisans
Thanks you, Lord, that you have led me to discover the pleasures of making things with my hands -- durable things that last, things that can be appealing to the eye, things that show the natural beauties of the wood and stone that you have made and the metals you have shown us how to … Continue reading Prayer Note #35 — A Prayer for Artists and Artisans
Sermon #14 — The Doctrine of God, Pt. 5: Male and Female He Created Them
Following on the theme of the previous installment in this series, here I look deeper into the nature of humanity, the image of God, and gender. As the preaching of this series worked out, I had not been planning on including this topic here in the series. But after a passing reference to the nature … Continue reading Sermon #14 — The Doctrine of God, Pt. 5: Male and Female He Created Them
Sermon #13 — The Doctrine of God, Pt. 4: The Image
Our own identity is tied intimately into the identity of God. We bear the image of the living God. In the person of God, we see the root and origin of our own identity -- broken and distorted though it may be because of our fall in to sin. In ourselves, we see the imperfect … Continue reading Sermon #13 — The Doctrine of God, Pt. 4: The Image
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 