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This past weekend at Eastbrook, I gave the first message in our preaching series entitled "Authentic Faith: Growing with the Apostle James." My message was entitled "When Trouble Comes," and drew upon James 1:1-18. This is a beautiful and penetrating passage with many well-known words, but perhaps most famous within this passage is this statement: …
Continue reading "“When Trouble Comes” – a message from James 1"
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the …
In Shakespeare’s powerful drama King Lear there is a moving scene where King Lear, bereft of the daughter he loves most, Cordelia, and being controlled by his two other self-serving daughters, Goneril and Regan, rushes out into a tempestuous storm.[1] As the dark storm rages about him, Lear rages about his own suffering and loss. …
Continue reading "Wrestling Lessons with Job: encountering God in our suffering"
One of the most well-known stories in the New Testament must be when Jesus invites Peter to walk on water in Matthew 14:22-33. Peter is often held up as either an example of bold faith in stepping out of the boat or faltering faith in sinking into the waves. However, there is another part of …
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) Paul begins our …
Matthew Erickson 