If you want a seed to grow, the first step is to plant it. You must open the soil, place the seed deep within, and bury it with dirt. With the right elements around the seed it will be nourished into fruitful growth. The same thing is true of sin in our lives. If you …
When You Are Sinned Against: Thoughts from Luke 17
It is one thing to talk about forgiveness of sin and another thing to talk about how we respond when others sin against us. Earlier this week, I wrote about the necessity of complete forgiveness from Jesus' words in Luke 17: If a brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, …
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Seven: The Number of Complete Forgiveness
When we come into community, we are brought together with quirky people who are different from us and who are sinners. Being one in Christ is a powerful reality, but it doesn't obliterate the distinctive personalities and blunders people have. Because of this, one of the most important words we ever encounter in the Bible …
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Dashboard Confessions: The Lenten Art of Automobile Driving
The other day I had a breakthrough of sorts while driving in my car. Yes, in my car. And – I know this may sound a bit odd – it was a Lenten breakthrough. I was casually driving home from work. This was a miracle in itself because I am the sort of person who …
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First Week of Lent
This past week, we have entered the season of the church year known as Lent. Lent is more than a worn-out old tradition of the church, but a way to enter more deeply into Jesus’ death on the Cross in order that we might enter more fully into the joys of Jesus’ resurrection. During this …
Matthew Erickson 