June 19th, 2007 by Matt Sutton
Quiet moments of nostalgia seem to grow proportionately with age. I suppose this makes sense. As we grow older, we certainly have more memories from which to choose as starting points for our little excursions; assuming, of course, we’re not so old we can only remember that we use to be able to remember. As believers, though, we all know our hope squarely rests in the future, not in the past. Therefore, the continual “living in the past” that marks the ways of many suffering unbelievers will not characterize our lives. Nonetheless, even spiritual trips down memory lane seem normal, and perhaps also potentially helpful if our memories are viewed in the proper manner. (more…)
August 19th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
James 1:2-4 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Historically, I must admit, I’ve basically blown off this verse. I would never admit this to fellow believers, but deep down the idea of having a perspective of “pure joy” when facing a trial seemed like complete nonsense to me. I rationalized the verse away by assuming that perhaps James was just simply using hyperbole to make a point. Maybe we shouldn’t curse God when facing trials of many kinds. I can buy that, but have joy; better yet, have pure joy? Right. (more…)
July 24th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Let’s play a little hypothetical game and assume for the moment that you are a real believer sure of your salvation. Not only are you sure, but other folks, for whom you respect, see evidence in your life and think your salvation is a pretty sure thing too. So with that detail out of the way, let’s move on and next assume that in your heart you have a real desire to be used by the Lord. Hopefully this is not a huge hypothetical leap for you! Now, the question is, how do we go about being “used” by the Lord? (Please bear in mind that I am in no way trying to trivialize salvation by relegating it to a mere “detail”. However, for the sake of this blog, certainly you will agree that salvation is, by definition, a profoundly obvious prerequisite.) (more…)
June 19th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Several years ago my father began to have difficulty swallowing. He didn’t experience any pain, or at least he didn’t communicate it to me if he did, but he described his experience with swallowing as being similar to eating a peanut butter sandwich really fast with no glass of milk to wash it down. He said it felt like everything he ate was sticking in his throat and no amount of effort would make it go down. He wasn’t just imagining this, however. An examination by our family physician revealed that he had developed esophageal cancer. (more…)
April 13th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
When I was in college, I tried to memorize a whole bunch of different Bible verses. I made it most of the way through my list, but unfortunately each verse was memorized in isolation. Not to take anything away from memorizing Scripture, but in my case, the effort at the time was probably more an act of spiritual bravado than anything else. The real goal was to get through the list. One of the verses on my list was Galatians 2:20. I ended up memorizing it alright, but at the time I wasn’t really sure what Paul was saying. What did “being crucified with Christ” mean? I’d like to explore Galatians 2:17-21 and list a few thoughts I have regarding what Paul might be trying to communicate. Undoubtedly, however, many of you have far greater hermeneutical skills than I, and therefore its your job to set me straight if I’m missing something. Let me present the NIV version of the text and then give you a few thoughts: (more…)
April 7th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Some theological truths roll off our tongues like reciting our ABC’s. In some sense, they are so foundational to our faith that they can become somewhat unremarkable over time. For me, the encouragement contained in Romans 8:1-4 is a prime example of a foundational truth that can loose its luster over time in the tarnishing environment of familiarity. Let me quote the passage for you:
1. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. 2. because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)
So, how much condemnation is there in “no condemnation”? You know, I think I understand this truth until I look at how I live my life before my God and Savior. (more…)
March 27th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Is Obedience Really Worth It?
There are some questions, which when asked in the presence of other believers, might make the one asking the questions appear rather uncouth. Asking these embarrassing questions may cause you to be snubbed, scoffed at or humiliated by other believers who actually have it all together. Having it all together, of course, applies to their state prior to when they snub you, scoff at you or humiliate you… Nonetheless, I think the question “Is obedience really worth it” fits into the category of biblically uncivilized questions. (more…)
March 8th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
If you have been a Christian for long, you have probably at least heard of the parable of the talents, which is recorded in Matthew 25:14-28 and similarly in Luke 19. I’ve heard this parable from my earliest days in Sunday School, and quite honestly, I’ve historically just chalked it up as a nice story and then moved on with my life. It really never affected me at all until I recently read a work from John Bunyan entitled The Fear of God. Bunyan’s comments sharpened the teeth of this parable for me. In fact, as a believer, his comments this parable become like one of the frightening warning passages in Hebrews. I encourage you to buy Bunyan’s book. It is worth every penny, even though the sentence structure and old English verbiage require a period of acclimation. (more…)
February 28th, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Some people are simply obnoxiously optimistic.? A ship might be submerged to the gunnels and sinking fast, yet some eternally optimistic chap will still see fit to yell? ?Set the jib!? and ?Trim the mainsail!? Now, barring a miracle, the stark reality of the above situation only lends itself to one of two options: Either you start chucking water like mad and plug the hole, or you swan dive overboard and freestyle swim like you’re in the Olympics.? Rest assured, however, if you are foolish enough to busy yourself tending the sails while waist deep in water, you can pretty much cast aside worrying about tomorrow.? Miracles notwithstanding, you’re sunk. (more…)
February 23rd, 2006 by Matt Sutton
Time is a peculiar thing. Ask any scientist to fundamentally define time, and the honest ones will likely shrug their shoulders. Why do we remember the past but not the future? Why does time move forward and not backward? Spatial dimensions like distance aren’t that bad, but time… well time is a bit of an enigma. (more…)
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