κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

[Introduction] Today’s epistle reading introduces us to one of God’s great servants, the Apostle Paul. Among ordinary Joes or Jerrys like you and me, there is no one who has played a bigger role in enabling us to hear the Gospel, to know the Gospel, to believe the Gospel, and to confess the Gospel than the Apostle Paul. His 13 epistles have defined and defended the faith. He articulated all of the core doctrines of the church, notably the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. His fearless and precise proclamation of the only Gospel during his missionary journeys led to the establishment of at least 14 churches, notably in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica, but let’s not forget in Athens, Berea, Derbe, Iconium, Lystra, Pisidian Antioch, Troas, and who knows how many others. His legacy of personal sacrifice to preach that Gospel continues to inspire Christians worldwide. I. That didn’t make him any less of a si...

[Introduction] Saint Paul begins our text with a word that should give us pause. It’s a huge word, an all-encompassing word, and it’s all over our reading. I’m talking about the word “all” ... as in all people and all times and all places ... for everyone and in everything. Six times in three sentences, Paul gives priority to God with the word “all.”  Paul writes, I encourage, first of ALL, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for ALL people, on behalf of kings and ALL who are in authority, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in ALL piety and dignity. This is beautiful and pleasing before God our Savior, who wills ALL people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For [there is] ONE God and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom on behalf of ALL, the witness for the proper time (vv 1-6). 1. Prayer, therefore, is one of the most primary things all Christians are called to do. But we’re mo...

Beloved in the Lord, especially you John, Barbara, Clifford, and Marcus ... dear friends and extended family of Katherin Loraine Parsons ... Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you faith leading to eternal life in him. In our Psalm of ascent, King David sang, I was glad when they said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord (Ps 122:1). So too was Katherin Loraine Parsons. She was ALWAYS glad when we said, Let us go to the house of the Lord.  Katherin loved to hear the Word of the Lord and to be reminded of his promises while waiting quietly for the salvation of the Lord (Lam 3:26). Here, she learned how to fight the good fight of faith. Here, she learned how to take hold of the eternal life to which she was called (1 Tim 6:12). Like Martha in our Gospel reading before her, she made the good confession of the faith ... that, Yes, Lord ... I have believed and continue to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming...