Monthly Archives: December 2022
Silent Night
For most of us, the Christmas season is a hectic and stressful time. But the Lord gave us a taste of a quieter and more peaceful Christmas while we were living in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba in 1986. We were there ministering among the locals and the expatriates, and Lynn was about to deliver our...
What is a Merry Christmas?
That word "Merry" is a strange one with both the brightest and the darkest of meanings. It is used a dozen times in the Bible to describe people who were drunk and acting irresponsibly – hardly a Christian virtue. The man who said, "Eat, drink, and be merry," was judged for a fool (Luke 12:19-20).
Why Matthew?: Picking What to Preach
This summer, I celebrated four years of ministry at Faith BFC, Spring City, PA. After three and a half years and one hundred thirty-one sermons I also finished preaching through my first gospel, Matthew. My goal in this article is to unpack why I chose Matthew as my first sermon series at Faith. Before I explain my...
Trinity without Hierarchy: a Response to Eternal Functional Subordination
There is no more important doctrine to the Christian church than the doctrine of the Trinity. At the heart of the Trinity is the answer to the question: who is God? How I answer the question impacts my life and worship. When we get the Trinity wrong, other doctrines fall like dominoes with it, particularly Christology and...
Restoring Shalom after Abuse through the Nexus of Forgiveness, Justice, and Reconciliation
It almost seems like we are dealing with "the unforgiveable sin,” an elder shared while describing ministry with sexual offenders in their congregation. His remark highlighted many churches’ difficulty as they seek to biblically and practically restore sexual offenders after abuse.
We are naturally repulsed at the perpetrator’s actions and the idea of...
Jesus Wept: a Precious God Moment
The Adult Sunday School class was an inductive study in Acts – dated concept, but it works. Somehow the raising of Dorcas in chapter 9 led to a discussion of the common features of New Testament resurrections.
Soon, they came round to the raising of Lazarus; and why did Jesus weep anyway?
From Green to Gold: Interview with Pastor Ron Mahurin
On June 2022, Pastor Ron Kohl, Rachel Schmoyer, and camera man Jeff Tintle interviewed retired Pastor Ron Mahurin about his ministry in the BFC. To get an accurate feel for our interview, imagine the dialogue sprinkled with friendly laughter and peppered with tender-hearted tears.
How did you get connected to the BFC?