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Click here to listen to this post! So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12). Over the years, I've heard and used different variations of this phrase: "You can't control how other people respond. You can only manage..." and then I complete the statement with something like: "your own behavior", "your reaction", "your engagement." You get...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unityamong yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouthyou may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters (Romans 14:1). let us stop passing judgment on one another (Romans 14:13a). If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love (Romans 14:15a). The center, circumference, essence, magnetism of our faith is the love of God ...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! It's God we are answerable toall the way from life to death and everything in betweennot each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.Romans 14:8,9 (MSG) In exploring how to Disagree Deeply, L...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.Each of us should please our neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christdid not please himself (Romans 15:1-3) Who gets to be pleased? Whose preferences prevail? Is it "my way or the highway"or is there another, better way? In Romans ...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! "Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." Romans 14:13b Is it just me, or do you ever want to say, "But my way is better"? Do you feel the longer you've done something, the more expert you feel? I've been grading compositions for years now; my system works best. I raised two childr...
Keep ReadingClick here to listen to this post! So whatever you believe about these [disputable matters], keep between yourself and God Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you " (Romans 14:22, 15:7). This week we will conclude our series Disagree Deeply, Love Deeper Still. But perhaps it's better to say that we're only just beginning to grapple with this matter of how we can ...
Keep ReadingTo listen to this post click here! No good tree bears bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the ove...
Keep ReadingTo listen to this post click here! "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers (Luke 6:43, 44). I spent a few summers during college working at a fruit experiment station. There were all kinds of varieties of fruit grown there for research pu...
Keep ReadingTo listen to this post click here! No good tree bears bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the ove...
Keep ReadingTo listen to this post click here! For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45b). Before Marie Kondo taught us to toss things that didn't "spark joy" I was already really good at throwing things out (or finding them new homes). Moving multiple times the last ten years means I've perfected the art of purging belongings, and yes: I would argue that it is inde...
Keep ReadingTo listen to this post click here! Wednesday, February 17 I'd like to welcome you to CD on the Go! and use today's Connect Devotional to introduce and orient you to this enhanced format for Chatham Church's daily devotional. Our team of gifted writers will continue crafting a daily devotional that is keyed to our current sermon series and the Scripture passages that go ...
Keep Reading"Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45b). We planted several fruit trees when we moved to Maryland, and it wasn't long before we realized getting delicious peaches, pears, cherries, and apples took significant work. In the fall, the trees required proper pruning. In spring, we sprayed for pests, applied the right fertilizer, protected fragile bloss...
Keep ReadingNo good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.Each tree is recognized by its own fruit (Luke 6:43-44). [Editor's Note: CD on the Go begins this week! Starting on Wednesday, and continuing through Easter, you'll receive seven CDs each week instead of our usual fiveAND each day's CD will come to you in audio form as well as the familiar text format. That...
Keep ReadingPaul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem [When Paul wanted to make a return journey to the churches he and Barnabas had planted] Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them. But Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued in the work. They had...
Keep ReadingBarnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted them in Pamphylia They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul went through Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:36-41). Have you ever experienced a "clean break?" Clean breaks can take the...
Keep Reading"I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel"(Galatians 2:14). I had been volunteering at the library for several years, loving my assigned task, when an older woman from the Senior Center was given work at my assigned job. I was frustrated, for I only worked twice a week and, again, loved what I was doing. I was annoyed she couldn't be used somew...
Keep ReadingWhen Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong (Gal. 2:11). When you look back on your life, do you see that some of the worst times ended up serving a greater purpose than you could have dreamed? My friend lost his job on the day he and I met for a long-planned reunion. This was two years after we had briefly known each other at grad ...
Keep ReadingWhen Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was clearly in the wrong When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,I said to Peter in front of them all (Galatians 2:11, 14). Did you catch the title: behaving the Gospel? We are of course to believe the Good Newsand that believing must get translated into certain ways of be...
Keep ReadingActs 15 What's really amazing about Acts 15 is that a bunch of people reach a decision that seems to fly in the face of most everything they have ever known and loved. Think about it: the church at that moment was primarily Jewish. The "headquarters" was in Jerusalem. The senior leadersPeter and James, among otherswere lifelong Jews. The Scriptures they looked to were wh...
Keep ReadingActs 15:1-29 My family and I have lived in lots of different places, and that means we've attended lots of different churches. In each church there have been business meetings, and we've been privy to lots of issues, large and small, that have come before their congregations. A few that stand out: Color of the carpet/chairs/pews (This one has come up in almost every si...
Keep ReadingIt is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved,just as [the Gentiles] are"(Acts 15:11, emphasis added). We've all felt left out before: the middle school clique spurns you, you don't dress the same as the others at church, the coffee group is bewildered you send your kids to public school, and on and on. We long to say, just tell me the standards to join your...
Keep ReadingActs 15:1-21 The United States has the Constitution. Christianity has the Holy Bible. Whenever a question arises for either politicians or Christians, they each have a jointly accepted document to turn to for clarity. Even with these foundational documents, however, both politicians and Christians can find themselves in conflict with others in their group. The conflicts ...
Keep ReadingThis brought Barnabas and Saul into sharp dispute and debate with them Peter got up and addressed them, " Now then why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No!" (Acts 15:2, 7, 10) Unity is a lovely idea until it has to get worked out by people like us! Our current series is challe...
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