Recently, the Speaker Of The House made this comment:

“The Bible says that God is the one that raises up people and authority. I believe God is sovereign — by the way, so did the founders,” Johnson said. “They acknowledge that our rights don’t come from government, they come from God, and we’re made in His image, everybody’s made the same. We all are given equal rights and value and that’s something that we defend. So if you believe all those things, then you believe that God is the one that allows people to be raised in authority. It must’ve been God’s will then, that’s my belief.”

The Speaker was referring to a text the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

So, the answer is yes. It’s not just true of President Biden. Anyone in authority is able to serve because God allows them to serve. But….

This doesn’t mean that every action a leader takes is righteous and good. It also doesn’t mean that every leader elected is righteous or good. Paul was speaking into one of the most corrupt governments in human history when he wrote Romans 13. It does mean that God is Sovereign and more powerful than government and government has power because God has allowed it to have power. His permissive will allows those in government to rule and reign. God can, and often does, use righteous leaders and unrighteous leaders to accomplish His will and purpose in the world.

It does mean, we should submit to government. They are instituted by and used by God, so we submit. Not because we think they are right, but because we think God is right. We serve Him. We understand that government is responsible to God for how they ruled, and we are responsible to God for how we lived under their rule. The answer to corrupt government is not rebellion, it is righteousness. This is our calling in a post Christian world…to live such good and righteous lives that results in people coming to and praising Jesus.

It does mean, we respect and honor government…. when its due. In other words, we don’t call evil good…. that would not be righteous. We keep our eyes up and on the lookout for the good that our leaders are doing. This stands in contrast to how our current culture lives and operates as we try to find the most recent thing we can criticize. Look for the good and honor that good.

It does mean, we pay our taxes. Not much more to say on that, but to say it again…pay your taxes :).

It does mean, we pray for our leaders. They are accountable to God and they have a huge responsibility. Pray that they lead well. Pray that they serve well. Pray that they allow themselves to be used by God to accomplish good, holy, and righteous things.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3.

Are these verses promising that God will align Himself with whatever you ask or imagine? That God is the cosmic genie in the bottle, only He won’t just grant 3 wishes, but will grant immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Unlimited wishes. Is this how faith works? Have faith, rub the lamp, and wish away?  We know this isn’t the way it works.  Consider the verses that appear directly before these verses:

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Paul is teaching us that…when Christ dwells in your heart…when you are rooted and established in His love…when you are filled to the measure of all the fullness of God…what you ask for and imagine changes. The asking for and imagining becomes Christ centered and gospel motivated. It becomes less about what you want and more about His mission, glory, and desire.

What are you asking for and imagining that is Christ centered, gospel motivated, and requires the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish?

Perhaps, you imagine a time when hate will no longer flourish, and love will rule the day. A time when we will treat people better, honor them more, and respect for one another will dominate our culture. Pray for that in confidence because you know God is able to do that and more.

Maybe you dream of a day when our culture would know Jesus. They will worship Him more, honor him more, and follow Him more. Pray for that in confidence because you know that God is able to do that and more.

Maybe you have a prodigal in your family. They are living this rebellious life. You just want them to come back to faith and worship Jesus. Pray for that with confidence because you know that God is able to do that and more.

Maybe you long to see joy return to our land. Not a joy in our prosperity but a joy found in the person of Jesus. Pray for that with confidence because you know that God is able to do that and more.

Maybe you want to see revival come to your church. A church with a passionate desire to praise Jesus, reach new people, and serve others. Pray for that with confidence because you know that God is able to do that and more.

Please don’t misunderstand the nature of these verses, Paul doesn’t seem to be promising exactly what God will do in each circumstance. He seems to be pointing people to and celebrating God’s ability, power, and strength. He is celebrating the theological truth about God that He is able.  This is worth celebrating.

Maybe you have become fixated on a specific outcome you desire, but today you can find joy, hope, and peace in the ability and character of your God.

Maybe you have become overwhelmed with desire for a solution, but the Apostle Paul (who was in prison) wants to encourage us to be overwhelmed by God’s glory.

Maybe you are so confident in what you want to happen that you have lost some confidence in what God wants to happen.

Today is a day to rejoice and worship. Not in known outcomes but in our known God. Our God who is able!

What is the purpose of marriage?

Is it sanctification? This person will change me.

Is it happiness? This person will bring me joy.

Is it fulfillment? This person will complete me.

I believe one of the primary purposes of marriage in the Bible isn’t any of those things…the primary purpose of marriage is to be a demonstration of the gospel. An illustration of a God who loves his people and a people who serve their God out of love. This purpose certainly adds clarity to what the Apostle Paul wrote about marriage in the New Testament:

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5

So, there are roles that we play in this illustration. The role of love. This is directed at husbands, but obviously both parties in a marriage are called to love. But he talks about this love that a husband can bring to a marriage that is similar to how Christ loves the church. It is sacrificial. It’s deferential. It lays down our life. It is giving the people around us a glimpse of God’s love for us.

The role of submission and service.  This is directed at both parties in the marriage. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ and wives submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. Why? You are demonstrating the churches’ role in loving Jesus. As a Christian, we are submitting to Him and His will and His ways every day. This isn’t drudgery or a hardship, because we love Jesus, we submit to Him. So, when both parts of a marriage take on this call…submitting to each other and trying to out serve one another, it makes the marriage work. But it also gives people an example of how they can voluntarily and joyfully submit to Jesus in this same way.

Misunderstanding the purpose of marriage will quickly lead us astray. It’s easy to buy into cultural understandings that marriage will complete me, serve me, and bring me happiness.

As Christians we have a higher calling than me. We are on a gospel centered mission in every area of life…work, school, life, and certainly marriage. When we accept this call to show people Jesus by loving, serving, and submitting to our spouse, the end result is actually our joy. But starting with happiness as the primary purpose of marriage will lead us down a self-centered path. It is when we understand the gospel and our high calling that marriage works, and joy comes.

My 5-year-old daughter is very sensitive to discipline. If you raise your voice, lower your tone, or enact a discipline she typically has a reaction. Her reaction is not always reasonable as she will say things like, “I guess you don’t want to see me anymore” or “I guess you don’t care about me” or “I guess you just don’t love me.” My wife and I typically have the same reaction. We will say, “You are the only one saying those things. Of course, we love you and want to see you and of course, we care about you.”

When God allows hardship in our lives or especially when God disciplines us for our actions, we can have the same reaction and say similar things. “I guess you don’t love me anymore.” “I guess you don’t care about me.” “I guess you don’t want to see me.” I wonder if God sometimes responds the same way as my wife and I… YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE SAYING THOSE THINGS.

What I am saying, through the cross, is that you are more loved than you can imagine.

What I am saying, through the resurrection, is that there is more power available to you then you than you realize.

What I am saying, through my holy spirit, is that there is joy, hope, and peace available to you, despite your circumstances.

Understanding His love for us becomes a lens through which we can view hardship and discipline. That lens will help us to see our world in a new and different way. We will see God, our circumstances, and our hardship more clearly. Our faith will increase along with our peace. But it starts with a very basic idea…God loves me.

Election day is coming up. Are you tired of the politic ads yet? As election day approaches, I have found myself wrestling through a question…does a follower of Jesus have a spiritual obligation to vote?

Because the Bible doesn’t mention voting specifically, we are left to assume and surmise. However, I think there are good reasons a Christian should vote:

Voting affirms the importance of leadership. Leadership matters to God. The bible is full of examples of both good and bad leaders. As you read those stories, you quickly see the impact that good and Godly leaders can have on a community. Voting allows us the opportunity to select leaders that will lead well. This is an incredible gift in our culture.  Like Israel, we don’t always do this well, but nonetheless, the opportunity is present.

Voting can be an expression of love. Because you love your community, you want good for your community. Voting allows us to speak into policies, vote on candidates, and pass referendums that will ultimately serve our communities well. This is an expression of love.

Voting is an expression of our civic rights. Biblically, rights are not the most important thing we have as citizens. There are multiple texts that talk about believers laying down their rights. However, in Acts 22 we see an example of Paul using his civic right as a Roman citizen to save his own life. Civic rights, like voting, are a tool that we have to improve the quality of life for ourselves and our fellow citizens. It is hard to imagine, if Paul had the opportunity, he wouldn’t be first in line to vote.

Voting is an expression of civic duty. As I said earlier, the Bible doesn’t mention voting, but it does mention other civic duties such as paying taxes. Paul will write in Romans 13 that Christians should engage in that civic duty. How different is voting from paying taxes as an obligation?

That being said, I also think that there are legitimate reasons why a Christian may choose not to vote:

There are no good candidates. I’ve heard multiple Christians say this over the years. I don’t feel free to vote for any of the candidates on the ticket. The lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. They humbly abstain.

Unity. I am hearing more and more Christians say that they are taking a step back from politics because of the issue of unity. They see how divisive this has become in culture, but also in the church and they don’t want to participate. Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John was that we would be one (unified) not that we would become a huge voting constituency. Everything has become political, and this does great damage to the cause of Christ.

Do I have a spiritual obligation to vote?

I think voting would fall into a biblical category of disputable matters or matters of freedom. There are reasons a person might feel called to vote and there are reasons a person might feel called to not vote. Pray. Seek God. Engage in great conversations. Decide if voting is right for you.

If you decide to vote…

Exercise your freedom well. Be well informed.

Allow your faith to influence your vote and how you see the issues and candidates.

Don’t allow your vote to become a source of disunity in your church.

Demonstrate great patience in political dialogue.

Love the other side well.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus in Matthew 11.

When we think of rest, most of the time we think about a day off, vacation, nap, or even doing something that we love to do. That’s a legitimate way to think about rest, but it’s not the only way. Other times, our need for rest is deeper and a nap really doesn’t help. A vacation doesn’t really get it done. A hobby isn’t enough. My observation has been that many are experiencing a fatigue of the soul and heaviness of the heart. We have a spiritual unrest that requires a spiritual solution.

This week, my prayer is that we can find rest in the resurrection. Consider these truths…

The resurrection reminds us that Jesus is stronger than the grave.

The resurrection reminds us that following the sorrow of Friday comes the hope of Sunday.

The resurrection reminds us that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead is at work in us.

The resurrection reminds us that our heavenly future is secured.

The resurrection reminds us that sorrow may last for a time, but joy comes in the morning.

The resurrection reminds us that we can lift our eyes to the mountains and understand where our hope comes from.

The resurrection reminds us that we can lift our hands and worship the One who paid for our sins and conquered the grave.

The resurrection reminds us that we are never alone.

The resurrection reminds us that we don’t need to be afraid.

The resurrection reminds us that God loves us deeply.

The resurrection reminds us that we have a great calling and great purpose.

The resurrection reminds us that we can overcome because Jesus overcame.

May the power of the resurrection encourage and inspire you as you rest in His grace and power.

There are no perfect families. The perfect family is a myth perpetuated by moments in time captured by social media. Social media captures a moment in time, it does not capture the whole picture. You might see a picture of the smiling and perfect family, but you didn’t see the meltdown, fight, or argument just minutes before. No one is posting that picture. Every family is imperfect because every family is filled with sinners.

Because there are no perfect families, every family needs grace as a core part of their family identity. Families that thrive are families that have grace, love, and forgiveness for one another. Because of sin, without grace families flounder.

This is Paul’s point in Ephesians 5:

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[a]

⁴ Fathers,^[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Paul directly applies certain attributes to certain members of the family. It helps us to see the relevance of the trait, but throughout scripture each of these attributes are tied to every follower of Jesus. We are called to love one another, serve one another, and submit to one another. These traits directly flow from our understanding of grace, and they will absolutely transform our families. 

Respect is a grace attribute. As a matter of fact, in any culture where grace has been eroded, respect has also been eroded. Grace reminds us that every human being was died for by Jesus and so every human being receives respect from me. It rises above their behavior and chooses a grace filled response.

Sacrificial love is a grace attribute. It refuses to be self-seeking and leans into service and care for the other person. It is absolutely motivated by the work of Jesus on the cross who self-sacrificed for the good of humanity.

Submission is a grace attribute. Submission says I will voluntarily lay down my will for the will of another person. It’s never forced…that is subjugation and abusive. It is voluntarily and joyfully done to serve the relationship. Again, motivated by the work of Jesus, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross for our grace.

Obedience is a grace attribute. When a child sacrifices their desire in order to obey their parents, they are living out a grace narrative. A narrative that seeks to bring peace not division to relationships. A narrative that seeks to serve the interests of others and not just my own.

Often, this passage in Ephesians is taught in a very pragmatic way. This works. This is the best way to do family. This is God’s design. I think those things are true to a large degree.

However, this passage cannot be understood outside of the context of grace. It is not just practical, it is theological.  Reread the passage, paying special attention to the underlined parts, and see how much of this text is tied to Jesus, His work, and His grace.

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[a]

⁴ Fathers,^[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Practical instruction for families is helpful and good. However, the best thing we can do in our families is to keep grace present. Teach your children about grace. Celebrate grace. Read about grace. Listen to music that lifts up grace. Practice grace daily even in the small or seemingly insignificant moments. Keep grace present and watch what flows from that grace. Our imperfect families, culture, and relationships desperately needs grace to be present.

I recently officiated a funeral for a man that was deeply loved by his family. I was really struck by what his son said about him, “When dad was born he received 1 million words and when he died he still had 980,000 of those words.” In short, his dad was a quiet man.

His dad was also a present dad. He attended all the sporting events, even coaching many of the teams. He was quietly present and had a deeply profound impact on his family and church.

Our relationships are becoming less quiet. For many people, presence looks like conflict, arguing, and disagreement. Some people have grown to avoid presence because it is all too stressful.

There is something really powerful about being quietly present. When we practice quiet presence, we learn…

We don’t always have to talk, we can listen.

We don’t have to win, we can allow others to win.

We don’t have to dominant, we can serve.

We don’t have to be great, we can be the least.

People might not know exactly what is on your mind, but they will feel listened to, loved, and served. That might be exactly what our relationships need most right now.

This series. A Resurrection People is as close to my heart, desire, and passion for our church as anything that I’ve preached. Ever. You can check out the series here. My prayer is that we would believe, celebrate, and internalize the resurrection of our Lord. As a result, …

Our faith would be strong.

Our hope would be steadfast.

Our joy would be unshakeable.

Our mission would be energized.

Our attitudes would be like that of Christ Jesus.

Our peace would be beyond understanding.

Our lives would be changed.

Paul was absolutely correct when he wrote,” ³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 1 Corinthians 15

The resurrection is the ball game. It is everything.  It was never Jesus’ intent that the resurrection would be pastelled (I know this isn’t a word) up in the spring, honored once a year with a billion Easter services, and followed by a lovely buffet at our favorite restaurant.

This resurrection story is groundbreaking, world altering, and life changing news.  It impacts the way we see and treat people, the way we respond to world events, and our sense of joy and hope in this world. Let’s embrace it, love it, and be changed by it…now and forever.

I have been challenged on my sabbatical by the notion of expertise. Is it wise for a person with no background and little training to portray themselves on social media as an expert on pandemic response, mask mandates, or politics? Even more specifically, is it wise for pastors and spiritual leaders to portray themselves as an expert in such matters?

This is hard for me because I have opinions….SO MANY OPINIONS!

I convince myself that those opinions are well informed. I do my research. I watch YouTube videos. I know how to use google. Ha! But c’mon, compared to someone who has truly researched, studied, received education, or given their life to a topic, my expertise is, well…. lacking.

For spiritual leaders there is an additional concern: spoken or written expertise in these “lesser areas” becomes a distraction from what/who is most important. Our influence, authority, and spoken/written word should be leveraged toward the most important. The most important drives our mission and our life.

The Apostle Paul had an interesting take on this when he wrote to the Corinthian Church: “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I promised to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”  2 Corinthians 2: 1-2

Should I wear a mask?

What are your thoughts on American politics?

Should I be vaccinated?

What do you think about the Presidents tax plan?

Do you think our country’s pandemic response has been good?

Ugh…I have so many thoughts!

But, here is my new advice: find an expert in the field that you trust and read everything they’ve written on the subject. Find an expert in the field that you generally disagree with and read everything they’ve written on the subject. In other words…research well!

Develop an opinion.

Be humble enough to know you might be right or wrong.

Walk in grace.

I never want to portray myself as an expert in any of these areas because I’m not. In the big scheme…. I know nothing! I know enough to be dangerous and that is indeed dangerous.

What I do know is this: God loves you and sent His son Jesus to die for you. Because of that truth: your sins are forgiven, your future is secured, and His Holy Spirit is with you every single day. You are not alone.

I’d like to become an expert in that!