Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:2

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“So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What should be the relationship of followers of Jesus to the government? That is not such an easy question to answer. The answer seems like it should depend at least in part on who is running it. On the other hand, though, our basic attitude and approach should be consistent regardless of who exactly is in charge. The answer to the question will also be affected by the form of government we are talking about. Some invite more participation and input than others. The biggest impact on the question, though, comes from our understanding of what government even is in the first place. All of this needs to be in mind as we work through what Paul says next here. Join me as we do that today.

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Seeing Through the Fog

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This week we are kicking off a brand-new teaching series called, “When Life Gets in the Way.” Sometimes when we have gotten in a good groove in our lives, something comes along to completely upset the apple cart. Our plans, our preparations, our entire lives get interrupted, and then we have to figure out what to do next. Over the next six weeks, we are going to be talking about how to handle these times, especially when God seems to be the one behind them. We’ll start today with a glimpse into Abraham’s story and trusting God when that doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Let’s dig in.

Seeing Through the Fog

Don’t you just hate interruptions? Getting and staying focused is hard. When we finally get there and something comes along to break our concentration, that’s so frustrating. We teach our children not to interrupt, that interrupting is rude. But we live in a world where distractions and interruptions seem to be multiplying all the time. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I am so easily distracted by…well…just about anything that interruptions are really bad for me. Now, don’t get me wrong: it’s not like I can’t focus at all. I’m just really good at focusing really intently for really short amounts of time. And by “really short amounts of time,” I mean that I can focus until something comes along to distract me…squirrel! (And for a quick peak behind the curtain, I think over the course of writing just that one paragraph, I got up about six times to do something else…)

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Morning Musing: Lamentations 3:19-24

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“Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of my absolute favorite hymns is the great classic, It Is Well with My Soul, by Horatio Spafford. He wrote it while reflecting on his grief over losing all four of his daughters when they ship they were taking from the U.S. to Europe sank on the voyage. It is a powerful expression of faithfulness in the face of pain and tragedy. A new musical series from Angel Studios offers up a take on the classic that captures the same heart of faithfulness but with a bit of modern flair. Let’s talk about why a series that’s really cheesy is still completely worth watching.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:1

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“Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Many of the things we find in the Scriptures are fairly light and easy. The teachings in the New Testament are mostly straightforward and encouraging. But occasionally you find something that is both hard and controversial. You find something that, depending on the season, some people will support and others will hate, only to find them switching sides when the season changes. As we get into Romans 13 today, we find just such a passage. Paul starts talking politics…in a book about religion. How much worse could it get? Let’s put on our thinking caps and steel-toed boots and find out.

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Morning Musing: Psalm 111:10

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One trip around the sun takes 365 and a quarter days. During that time, we all travel 584 million miles. Today, I’ve finally crossed the 25.1 billion miles. That makes 43 years feel like an exceptionally long time. But nonetheless, here I am. You would think after more than 25 billion miles around the sun, I’d have learned at least a thing or two. I probably haven’t learned as much as I should have, and some of what I have learned may not matter very much. But, for something a little different and maybe fun today, here are a few things I have learned.

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