It was sadly ironic to read about the terrible church bombings yesterday morning even as I prepared as a pastor for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Recent times have seen not only church bombings but church buildings burning, whether in Louisiana or Paris. Every Christian knows that the word 'church' means people and not buildings. …
Andrew Brunson on the presence and absence of God in suffering
If you have not yet listened to this message from Andrew Brunson reflecting on the presence and absence of God, you should listen to it soon. Brunson talks about his experience of God's absence through a good deal of his imprisonment in Turkey, of how his reading of prison biographies did not prepare him for …
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Our Lives a Journey of Joy
In the midst of our pursuit of God, we can sometimes focus so much on the seriousness of discipleship that we miss out on the joy of our life with God. For me personally, there are times when I emphasize the challenges or trials on this earth to the point that I ignore or unwittingly …
C. S. Lewis: “Joy is the serious business of Heaven”
This from C. S. Lewis in his wonderful book, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer: I do not think that the life of Heaven bears any analogy to play or dance in respect of frivolity. I do think that while we are in this ‘valley of tears,’ cursed with labour, hemmed round with necessities, tripped up with frustrations, …
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Faith at the End of All Things [Daniel 12]
I concluded our series on the book of Daniel last weekend at Eastbrook Church by focusing on the final words of the book found in Daniel 12:5-13. This concludes the final vision of Daniel, which is also the longest vision, stretching from 10:1-12:13. This message brings together themes of persevering in our faith and the hope of …
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Matthew Erickson 