One of the great ironies of religious life is how some of the people whose lives are most dictated by rules are often the people who are greatest offenders of the rules. This makes no sense to many people who are outside of religion. Religious people who fail to uphold the rules are very quickly labeled as “hypocrites” and cast …
False Doctrine
I often say that I love the academic environment of seminary or anywhere that is set aside for in-depth learning about theology and the Bible. However, there is one negative aspect to seminary when I attended that is very easy to assume as the reason you are there. Seminary students (and I include myself) can be some of the most …
The Yoke of Slavery
One of the greatest works of literature in the history of the English language is the allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress. Many of the themes of Galatians take great prominence in Bunyan’s masterpiece. Not least of these is the comparison between works of religion and salvation by grace through faith. A great illustration of this juxtaposition takes place on one of the occasions …
Religion vs Relationship
Galatians 4:21-31 offers a bit a sidetrack in the straightforward message that has been presented throughout the letter. The sidetrack is important, however, because it uses a well-known story from the Old Testament to illustrate the overall point that salvation by grace through faith is greater than the covenant of works found in the Mosaic covenant. To understand the illustration, …
Shepherds and Wolves
Matthew 20:25-28 The paradigm of leadership that Jesus gave to his followers is one that turns every non-Christian view of leadership on its head. Whereas the world (Gentiles) typically view leadership as an exercise of power (lording authority), Jesus teaches that those who would lead in his kingdom must be servants first. Leaders who lead the way that Jesus taught …
New Song Sunday • Honey in the Rock
I can already hear the collective head-scratching as you ask “We’re singing about…what???” And I can understand that question, however, much like a book and its cover, we shouldn’t judge a song by just its title. Honey in the Rock is a song written by Brooke Ligertwood, Brandon Lake, and Mitch Wong. It takes its name from scripture found in …
New K-5 Children’s Director • Jennifer Primm
The pastors at Venture have unanimously decided to hire Jennifer Primm as our new K-5 Children’s Director. She has already been serving in our kid’s ministry and we look forward to seeing her flourish in this new role. Join us in welcoming her onto the team and pray for her as she leads our team in this vital ministry. Read …
What Does It Mean to be Adopted?
In Galatians 4 Paul gives extended usage to a metaphor to describe our relationship to God as well as the former relationship that God’s people had to the law. That metaphor concerns how the relationship of an heir to his father changed over time under Roman law. An heir becomes such because he is the son of his father. Nothing …
The Purpose of the Mosaic Law
One of the great themes of Galatians about which we have discussed in many different ways over the last several weeks is the comparison between religious law and relationship with God by grace through faith. Grace is superior to religion in every way imaginable. A natural question for people reading Galatians might be “so if the law of Moses is …
The Story of Religion
The story of religion can be summed up as the story of making and trying to keep divine laws. Even Biblical religion can be described in this way. There is no doubt that God gives laws in the Scriptures and that the laws that he gives are good. But the greatest gift that God gives to humanity is his Son, …