Unequally Yoked
Read: 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1 We are the temple of the living God. (v. 16) When I was growing up, I heard the term “unequally yoked” used to warn against marrying a partner who wasn’t a Christian. But Paul’s caution against being unequally yoked applies to much more than marriage. While committed Christians are wisely encouraged, when […]
No Time Like the Present
Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (v. 2) When I was growing up, my family observed an annual Saint Nicholas Day celebration in early December. We gathered with friends, sang, and feasted. Then, Saint Nick himself (one of the dads in costume) appeared. We kids […]
The New Creation
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. (v. 17) When he made his first foray into television, Fred Rogers hated that medium. He saw it as a platform in which human degradation was turned into entertainment. Instead of merely co-opting this inherently corrupt mechanism to do good, Mr. Rogers […]
Home Awaits
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (v. 1) In college, I took a course that included watching Citizen Kane which, due to my youth and inexperience, I failed to appreciate. I thought, Why would the richest man in the world go to […]
Not Destroyed
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. (v. 17) One of the most-viewed boxing matches of all time is 1974’s bout between Muhammad Ali and reigning world champ George Foreman. Younger, heavier, and stronger, Foreman was favored to win. Ali spent four rounds taking punishing blows. […]
Shining through the Cracks
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7 God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts. (v. 6) In 2019, Ben Kirby started the Instagram account PreachersNSneakers featuring pastors wearing expensive designer shoes and clothing. He intended it to be humorous. But it has proven to be an incisive critique of the phenomenon of […]
Living Letters
Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1-11 You are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit. (v. 3) As a pastor, I occasionally write letters of recommendation. A high school senior might request a recommendation for a scholarship application. A job seeker may need a character reference. I am always happy […]
The Smell of Victory
Read: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession. (v. 14) Growing up, I regularly visited dairy farms owned by friends and family. I loved everything about these visits—except the smell. Once, when I said to my father, “It stinks here!” he replied, “I think it smells wonderful.” […]
Always Yes
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:12-22 All the promises of God find their Yes in him. (v. 20) Years ago, McDonald’s ran a TV ad that featured a busy father and his young son. Throughout the day, the son runs up and asks things like: “Dad, can I parachute out of my bedroom window? Can we go shark […]