Author Archives: Roots Disciple-Maker and Trainer

In June, we are making our way in the New Testament from narratives to letters.  The first set of letters come from the Apostle Paul, beginning with Romans.  This week’s blog covers Romans, perhaps Paul’s most famous letter.  This letter is often seen as a mini theological handbook.  However, it is best to view itContinue reading “Romans: the Salvation of Our God”

For this week, I thought I would provide some reflection and commentary on the end of the story for Paul in Rome. This is where the story of Acts ends, but the story of the Church goes on into our day…             The focal point of 28:11−31 is Paul in Rome.  Paul finally arrived atContinue reading “Paul in Rome – The End of the Story?”

Paul on Trial: Jerusalem and Caesarea For this week’s blog, I thought I’d provide some reflections on the beginning of the events that lead to Paul being on trial. This will help us to understand the rest of the story of Acts.             Chapters 21−26 revolve around Paul on trial as he is in JerusalemContinue reading “The Trial of Paul”

Krista and I lived a season of our lives in the shadow of Mount Rainier in Western Washington.  The Mountain, as the locals call it, rises 14, 411 feet above the Puget Sound.  It hosts the largest glacial mass in the contiguous United States due in part to the massive amount of moisture that dumpsContinue reading “The Lord is Our Keeper (Reflections on Psalm 121)”

The Sequel For this week’s blog, I thought we’d take another look at the Book of Acts from a “Big picture” perspective. After considering the book as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, this blog will explore the story of Acts as the journey of the Gospel.       Early and reliable Church tradition testifies thatContinue reading “The Journey of the Gospel – The Story of the Book of Acts”

The first sermon I ever preached was from Acts 4:1-22, and I gave it the title, “Risk: Fearing Nothing But God.”  I think I chose that title as a kind of pep-talk to myself because I knew I had to stand up in front of 1500 people and preach three times that Sunday.  I wasContinue reading “The Acts of the Apostles”

For this week’s blog, I thought I would share some in-depth analysis of part of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 13−17). The story of Jesus’ teaching John 15:1-16:4a is all about the Master-Disciple relationship. The setting for 15:1−16:4a continues to be Jesus speaking with His disciples on the evening before the Passover Feast.  Disciples being likeContinue reading “Disciples Are Like Their Masters”

Making our way through the Gospels, you have likely noticed how often Jesus and the New Testament writers refer back to the Prophetic Books. So, I thought it would be helpful to explore how the Prophetic Books relate to the New Testament. These books are often difficult to understand but also very important for understandingContinue reading “The Prophets and the New Testament”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “one of these is not like the other”?  In a sense, these words apply to the Gospel of John among the four Gospels in the New Testament.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called “the Synoptics,” because they share a similar (syn) perspective (optics).  Let’s explore together what makes theContinue reading “The Gospel of John”

As we continue to make our way through the Psalms, my language for worship and prayer is enriched and deepened.  A helpful model for me in approaching the Psalms is to think of the whole collection of 150 psalms as the hymnbook for God’s people.  Growing up in a Lutheran Church, using a hymnal wasContinue reading “Psalms – Formative Songs for God’s People”