Growing up in the Mississippi River Valley of western Illinois, I went to a relatively diverse middle school and high school. But I never heard about Juneteenth until much later while pastoring the diverse church where I know serve in Milwaukee. On January 1, 1863, as our nation moved toward the third year of the …
Crimes Against the Self
To pretend what is, is otherwise. To speak harsh sentences in the quiet of the night when no one else hears but oneself. To hold one's breath day after day, climbing into a building that is on fire. To know what is good but pursue what is evil, letting it fasten its teeth into you. …
“Living Free, Living Bound” – a message from 1 Corinthians 9
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our preaching series entitled "God's Grace for an Imperfect Church: 1 Corinthians." In this message from 1 Corinthians 9:1-23, I explored Paul's theme of forgoing our rights in Christian freedom in order to live for the good of others and God's glory. Paul begins this theme in the …
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“Living for the Good of Others” – a message from 1 Corinthians 8
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our preaching series entitled "God's Grace for an Imperfect Church: 1 Corinthians." In this message from 1 Corinthians 8, I sought to bring us through Paul's discussion of food sacrificed to idols to what I see as the center of this part of the letter: forgoing our rights …
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“Marriage, Divorce, and Singleness, part 1” – a message from 1 Corinthians 7 with Kelly Erickson
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our preaching series entitled "God's Grace for an Imperfect Church: 1 Corinthians." In this message from 1 Corinthians 7 my wife, Kelly, and I addressed portions of the chapter related to marriage and sexuality in marriage, predominantly verses 1-16. While we did briefly speak about Paul's gift of …
Matthew Erickson 