A flat character in theater is a character that lacks complexity or depth. We’re not given much detail on them. You might have heard the term “supporting actor.” Some supporting actors have a huge impact on a story, while others may have very little. We hear of the man Simeon only once in the word, and it’s quite brief. His story, however, packs an incredible punch. We see Simeon only in Luke 2:25...  Read More

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4. The word translated “end” here is the Greek word “Telos” (τέλος). The word does not have a massive semantic domain, meaning it isn’t translated in too many ways, but it does have a few ways it can be translated in English. One way it’s used is seen in passages like 1 Timothy 1:5 where Paul says, “The goal (...  Read More

Michaelangelo was an incredible sculptor. He did many things, but his sculpting by far most captures my awe. Anyone who’s seen his work is amazed by the skill and patience it must have taken to create it. He’s recorded to have said of one of his works: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” How did he see that? And furthermore, ever have the patience to slowly bring that ...  Read More

Where’s the weight? In my heart, how can I bear to tell another man or woman they’re going to be condemned before God and not weep for them? Even if my eyes never actually get wet, where’s the weight on my heart? Jeremiah was not known as the “aloof prophet.” We call him the “weeping prophet” for a reason. Paul said he had constant sorrow in his heart for his people in his letter to the Romans. Ev...  Read More

It is the cherishing of God himself from the heart that makes all the difference. It’s the very fact that a person has been kept near to God by God himself that will preserve him in life over the long run and assure his heart before God. But God does this through various means. I want to write to you today as a part of those means. Every pastor wants his people to be able to enjoy the daily sunshi...  Read More

Romans 3 ends with a question asked and answered: “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” Romans 3:31. This is the end of a chapters-long build up to an extended apologetic of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for which Abram becomes Paul’s model in chapter four. Paul knows that all of Adam’s descendants are dead in SIN. He knows that this inclu...  Read More