Jurassic Park, Halloween Costumes, and the Gospel

Caleb and I dressed up in Jurassic Park style for Halloween... and I think we mostly confused people.  But there was one person who got it!  And that made it all worthwhile.

Which is a reminder of the Gospel -- in the midst of so much sin and brokenness, there are moments where the Gospel shines through and reminds us all of the grace and beauty in the world.

Luke 22:31–34 -- Failing and Rebounding

Luke 22:31-34 

English Standard Version 

  Being a parent involves the temptation to try and remove every single obstacle from your child's life.  We want the road to be smooth and easy for them.  But it's also a process of knowing that they need some opposition to build resilience.  That's a vital trait, and so how does one decide where to let them stumble and where to clear the way?  I haven't yet figured out the answer to that.  I probably lean towards clearing the way.  

  What's interesting to me is the way that Jesus sets this all up.  Jesus tells Peter that he's about to be sifted by the Devil.  At which point, if I were Peter, I'd ask for plan B.  Jesus tells Peter that Jesus will pray for Peter... but he doesn't remove the trial from Peter.  Peter is going to fail -- Jesus prays that Peter will have the capacity to rebound from his failure and then serve his brothers.  Jesus prays that Peter will use this weakness to strengthen others, that it won't be wasted.

  Peter denies that he will deny Jesus  (spoiler:  Peter denies Jesus soon).  Peter claims he will die before denying Jesus, showing us that we barely know our own weaknesses.

  Jesus loves him anyway.  Jesus knows he will fail, and yet Jesus prays for him -- not that he will avoid pain and trials, but that he will come out of the trials stronger.

  Just because you are going through something hard in your life, it doesn't mean that Jesus has forgotten you.  Jesus is still praying for you.

Luke 22:28–30 -- Remaining Faithful when the Way is Hard

Luke 22:28-30 

English Standard Version 

  The Gospels are always fascinating to me because the disciples get a lot of things wrong.  It's clear that they're often uncertain as to the fullness of Jesus' identity.  Jesus corrects them at times, and sometimes he has to explain things over and over again.  You start to get the feeling that Jesus could've chosen people who might have had more precise insight into the identity of the Messiah.

  But they stayed with him in his trials.  For all their faults, they were faithful.  They were steadfast.  And here, Jesus promises them a seat at the table and a throne in the Kingdom.  Not for their perfection, but for their faithfulness.

  There's a lesson here for us.  We don't have to be perfect.  We don't have to understand everything.  But stay faithful.  Remain.  Even when it gets hard, when the way is unclear and the road is shrouded in shadows... stay faithful.  Cling to God, trusting that God is holding on to you.  Stay faithful -- the Kingdom is at hand.

The Great Company of Saints: Sermon for Nov 1, 2026 (All Saints Day)

 

The Great Company of Saints: All Saints' Sunday What does it mean to be a saint? Is sainthood reserved for extraordinary Christians, or does it describe something much bigger? On All Saints' Sunday, we discuss the ancient Christian tradition of remembering those who have gone before us in faith and the remarkable promise that unites believers across generations. Drawing from Psalm 24:1–6, Matthew 5:1–12, and Revelation 7:9–17, we discover that the saints are not people who have earned their place before God through perfect lives, but those who have been claimed by the grace of Jesus Christ. From the Beatitudes to John's vision of a great multitude gathered before God's throne, these passages remind us that the church extends far beyond the people we see on Sunday morning. We belong to a great company of believers, past and present, united by faith and sustained by the promise that one day God will wipe away every tear.