I blog on this topic with great caution.  But, let me start the same way I did yesterday.  In 30 years of serving as a pastor I have done pre-marital counseling with MANY couples.  After the marriage, I ask the couple to meet with me for a six month check up.  I’ll never forget the [...]

After 30 years of being a pastor, I have noticed a common theme.  Whenever a married couple comes in with relational problems, the husband will inevitably talk about their sex life (of lack of…).  The point is pretty straight forward – sex is the fruit of a relationship, the relationship is not the fruit of [...]

Over the last couple of weeks in our Sunday community group we have been looking at John 14-16. One of the major themes of that section is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a disciple. As Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure, Jesus makes some pretty radical statements…   John [...]

As many of you know, we have participated in Men’s Fraternity this year. It has been a wonderful experience and I am so proud of the committed men who stuck it out for a 23 week program. I praise God for Men’s Fraternity at BEP and for our men. We truly have godly men here [...]

Easter has got me thinking about the Resurrection ,as I guess it should, but this year I am realizing in an especially poignant way the beauty and benefit of Christ’s  Resurrection. The historic creed called the Heidelberg Catechism explains this benefit in the form of a simple question. What does the “resurrection” of Christ profit [...]

Oh if we could snap our heels and be home! I have been reading a book by Dr. Tim Keller that has been causing me to long for home.  Listen to what he says in his book The Prodigal God “Home then is a powerful but elusive concept. The strong feelings surround it reveal some deep longing within [...]

John Wesley (1703-1791) was a founder of the Methodist movement that would become the Methodist Church. Understanding the importance of integrity and words, he required all Methodist pastors to sign a covenant . The covenant summarizes the biblical principles for how you deal with hearing a bad report about another with integrity. The six points [...]

   And Jesus answered them; “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls  into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.   John 12:23-28 (ESV) As we approach Easter, it struck me how overly [...]

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the churches’ celebration of Easter (Lent). For the next 6 Sundays we will be preparing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the 7th Sunday of Lent – Easter. Why 7 weeks? Because the early church counted back 40 days from Easter Sunday (excluding Sundays) to remember [...]

This morning I came across this simple prayer by Augustine. He prays so much in so few words. “Tend thy sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ; rest the weary ones; soothe thy suffering ones; shield thy joyous ones; and all for thy Love’s sake.” Augustine was the Bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa (354-430). One [...]