Confusion of Roles

Two brothers coached the opposing teams in the 2013 NFL Super Bowl. Which team, I wondered, would the parents be pulling for?

If their hope for the success of each of their sons was equal, the final score really didn’t matter. Any result registered a winner. By the same token, they couldn’t avoid a loss. Did they have favourites? Were they parents first?

Dilemma Resolved

Years ago, when I was working as a Campus Minister in Berkeley, California, my team faced a dilemma. We needed a leader for a small group of students and a young man’s name was proposed who did not seem experienced enough for the task.

My team prayed over this dilemma and, one by one, each came to the same decision:

Fighting God – The Common Human Confusion

When the apostles burst upon the Jerusalem scene after Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit came, they continually urged people to recognize in the gospel the truth of God. “Jesus is the Messiah” and “God commands all people to repent and believe this good news!” The Jewish authorities struggled with these truth claims.

Struggling? Back to the Basics

In this letter to Philemon Paul was dealing with an issue raising its head at that time. As the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire, it knew no social boundaries. People from every level of society were receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. This created challenging situations for the accepted order.