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In Part 1 of "What Smells Good to God?" we looked at the sacrifice for sins that Jesus made on the cross. We also saw God's acceptance of what Jesus has done, evidenced by Jesus being raised from the dead. We discussed how when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God accepts the sacrifice of Christ's death for our sins, and gives us the righteousness of his life. By faith in Jesus we are declared righteous before God and heirs to eternal life. All of this can be examined here:  Part 1 Link Here For Part 2 of this post, I want to look at what we do in response to God's mercy as it has been revealed in Jesus Christ and the results that come from our response. 1. Our Response Since Jesus Christ is the primary sacrifice for our sins, we respond by offering our lives to God. We respond by presenting ourselves to God in joyful service to Him. Paul says in Romans, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a liv...

Back when I was a single guy, I would go to the grocery store right after Easter and buy a huge ham. The prices always dropped dramatically on hams right after Easter, and I would walk way with a giant chunk of meat for a great price. I would throw the 6 lb. or more ham in the oven and just let it bake and bake. At the time I was sharing a house with 5 other guys who had just graduated college. The house we lived was a huge 3 story house with 6 bedrooms - it was huge. As the ham baked it slowly filled the entirety of the house with the smell of bacon. I don't think it is clear in the Bible whether or not the smell of bacon is pleasing to God, but it is certainly pleasing to man. So why the title "What Smells Good to God?" Throughout the Bible their are lots of occurrences where we read that a smell, fragrance, or aroma was pleasing to God. In the early sacrificial system toward the beginning of the book, we find out that the animal sacrifices of atonement for sin we...

One of my favorite songs of all time is "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. It's a beautiful break-up song that paints a viscerally moving portrait of the pain and frustration of a lost relationship. One poetic image in particular stands out to me from the middle of the song: "oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before" This image really resonates with me. Picture frames that once held joyous pleasure moments - treasured memories of trips, birthdays, summers. Time shared together and captured in photographs for the walls showing all the sinew that was knitted together in the relationship of the two people - now being torn off the walls. All that is left behind of the once blossoming and beautiful relationship is oily marks. The pain and scars left behind in a break-up that can't and won't be healed swiftly leaving behind some memories of heartbreak that will sting for a lifetime. Even as I think upon this lyric my emotions stir ...

Sage & I @ Banning State Park, MN I love my dog Sage. When I first adopted Sage, I learned a lot about the responsibility of taking care of a dog. One of those responsibilities is that Sage needs to go to the bathroom. Living in the Twin Cities means that I don't have the real estate to just let her out to do her business. I have to walk her, and wait for her to decide when the time is right. This can become very frustrating in the harsh Minnesota winters, especially when Sage is really taking her sweet time to decide when she's ready to do her business. ( SIDE NOTE: Forgive me all parents who deal with actual problems with children and bathroom situations, this is all I've got for now!) Tonight was such an occasion. I was freezing as I walked her through the Saint Paul city streets. The wind was blowing a cold northerly wind but Sage remained unfazed. Much to my chagrin, we walked for over 30 minutes before she finally took care of her business. During t...

Read The Hope of Glory Part 1  here In Part 1 of this two part blog post series, titled "The Hope of Glory" I wrote about the "mystery" of the Gospel which Paul discusses in this verse: "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27 ESV) The "mystery" of the Gospel we found out that God's plan for salvation through Jesus Christ is for all people who put their hope in Jesus through hearing the word of truth - the gospel of salvation. We also learn that in believing the gospel, we receive the Holy Spirit. When we trust Christ, we become heirs of God, we enter into the cosmic body of Christ, which is the church, and we become partakers of God's promises through the gospel. These are the riches of the glory of the mystery of the gospel. So, let's dig into the rest of Colossians 1:27 and figure out what the...

This morning I awoke with these words on my heart, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Over and over in my head I found myself thinking the phrase, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Putting on the morning coffee: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Walking Sage and picking up after her: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Driving to school, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  I notice this happens sometimes, a phrase or an idea enters my mind and I can't escape thinking about it. What does it mean to have "the hope of glory?" The phrase comes from  Colossians 1:27 (thanks, Google!) Paul had not helped to start the church in Colossae, but his friend Epaphras had given him a concerning report regarding the status of the church. Paul decided that the Colossian church was in need of some guidance and encouragement, so he wrote them a letter. In the letter Paul discusses the goal of the spread of the gospel....

I really think we will remember the 2016 Presidential Election specifically for its polarizing nature - the isolating differences that emerged from both sides. It seems like now more than ever people can only be on one side of the aisle or the other.  Facebook in particular seems to be the magnifying glass that creates this sort of polarity of thinking. On Facebook we scroll across hundreds if not thousands of reactionary posts, click-bait headlines, and memes on a daily basis. We go from being a people with diverse viewpoints and the ability to respect one another in person, to people who become disillusioned at the "other side." It is nearly impossible to look at Facebook now and not walk away feeling hurt, frustrated, or disappointed in someone else's viewpoint. We start to look at people in different ways than used to, and we start to put them into groups. We make assumptions about people based on one thing that influence the way we think about them in everythin...

I love the movie " The Sandlot " (1993). In many ways, it's an accurate depiction of the power of the imagination of children. When the star player, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez hits the Sandlot kids' last baseball over Mr. Mertle's fence, the drama begins. New kid, Scotty Smalls tries to climb the fence, and is hurriedly warned by the entire team to stop! There is a "Beast" behind that fence. Scotty quickly tells all the kids that the ball was signed by none other than Babe Ruth! And it belongs to his stepdad! The rest of the movie involves the kids trying every scheme they can to get the ball back from the "Beast"  Scotty also has to get an introduction to what the kids are dealing with. The kids tell a tall tale regarding the dog whom they have named, "The Beast." The story they tell about Mr. Mertle and The Beast is pure folklore and speculation, and it paints a portrait that they are to be feared! Later in th...

Team sports are a beautiful construction. I grew up playing team sports and I am truly thankful for all the lessons I learned. The beauty of team sports comes from a diverse group of individuals making sacrifices and working hard in union with one another to pursue a higher goal. In pursuit of that higher goal, players learn selflessness and sacrifice, the value of hard work in pursuit of progress, and the joy of finding unity in diversity. In a team many players are gifted in different ways, but there is power behind their unity in diversity as they pursue their common goal. Teammates join themselves together and grow deep in their bond through practice, pain, blood, sweat, and tears. It is a beautiful thing to witness a team of uniquely gifted individuals as they find consensus. Think about the Clemson Tigers, who just won the national title in college football. The team consists of a head coach, assistant coaches, and coaching assistants. There are the starting players on off...