When it comes to giving to the church, we all wonder, “How much should we give?”  In his instructions about giving in 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul never mentions specific amounts or percentages, but he does give us several principles to follow.  One of them is in 9:6-10.  In these verses (esp. vv. 6 and 10) Paul uses the metaphor of reaping and sowing to explain what happens when we give.  The Corinthians may have thought that they would lose whatever they give, so Paul reminds them that, just as [...]

I love Spring.  The bright colors, fresh smells, cool breezes, warm sunshine, rainstorms, turning the heat/AC off at night and sleeping with the windows open, eating meals outside instead of inside, and being able to be outside without sweating all make Spring one of my favorite times of the year.  Springtime shows us the glory of God’s creation in ways that Winter, Summer, and Fall do not.  But springtime also shows us something else.  If we look at springtime with biblical eyes, we see resurrection.  During Spring, the Lord [...]