Reach and Run

Psalm 1 Yogi Berra once famously said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Like many of Berra’s sayings, it makes you smile because it sounds profound until you stop and think about it. A fork in the road is precisely where we cannot simply keep …

Nothing but the Truth

1 John 5:13-21 There is no shortage of uncertainty in the world around us. Headlines change by the hour. Opinions are presented as facts and lies are presented as truth. People wonder what tomorrow will bring, whom they can trust, and even whether there is such a thing as truth …

Witnesses and Witnessed

1 John 5:6–12 If you have ever watched a courtroom drama, you know that a case often rises or falls on the testimony of its witnesses. Attorneys spend countless hours preparing witnesses, establishing their credibility, and presenting evidence that supports their case. One unreliable witness can weaken an argument, but …

A Faith Victory

1 John 5:1-5 Every generation has its records. As a baseball fan, I have always been fascinated by the single-season home run record. For years, Babe Ruth’s sixty home runs seemed untouchable. Then Roger Maris hit sixty-one. Years later, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds each rewrote what people …

Love in the Face of Judgment

1 John 4:13–21 There are certain moments in life that immediately capture our attention. Imagine checking your mail and finding an envelope stamped with the words, “Final Notice.” Before opening it, your mind begins to race. What bill did I forget? What consequences are coming? What happens next? Then you …

God’s Love

1 John 4:7–12 The wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Canada changed the appearance of the sky over Connecticut this past week. Smoke and haze filled the atmosphere, and at sunset the sun appeared as a brilliant red and orange orb. Yet something important had not changed. The sun …

Test the Spirits

We live in a world filled with voices. Every day we are surrounded by podcasts, social media, news outlets, books, videos, influencers, and countless people who claim to know the truth about God. Some messages are obvious distortions of the gospel, while others are far more subtle. They sound spiritual, …

Assured and Comforted

1 John 3:18–24 As our nation celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, many people have reflected on the importance of foundations. The Declaration expressed truths that America’s founders believed should guide the nation for generations. While much has changed over the past two and …

Hate Is a Strong Word

1 John 3:11–18 Words matter. Yet few words have become as casually used in our culture as the word hate. We hear it all the time: “I hate Mondays.” “I hate traffic.” “I hate that team.” “I hate that politician.” We often use the word to express frustration or preference, …

Practice and Perfection

1 John 3:4-10 One of the most common phrases heard today is, “People never change.” We hear it in different forms. “That is just who I am.” “I have always been this way.” “Once an addict, always an addict.” “Once angry, always angry.” The world often assumes that people can …