Thursday Theological Threads

  Luke 18:9-14 He was a master of deception. He convinced people he was a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, and a pilot—all before he turned 18. He was also a brilliant forger. At the age of 17, he became the most successful bank robber in US history. Do you know who this was? It was Frank Abagnale Jr. The movie Catch Me If You Can is based on his life. Frank’s story is fascinating—especially how he talks to, brags to, and antagonizes the FBI agent who is chasing him. And while most of us have not had the exploits Frank had, we relate to him. We all move through life, wanting to establish our value and worth. And we want to be able to walk with something that resembles confidence—even if we have to fake it. So we look for ways to prop ourselves up and feel important. The truth is we’re all working so hard. Whether that’s trying to appear authentic, or find some work-life balance, or being the best spouse, or the perfect parent. And we find it’s hard. It’s hard to meet the demands of li...

  On October 16, 2022, I was invited to preach the Homecoming service at Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion is the church I served at from 2004 - 2007, when I was in my early twenties and a student at VSU.  Luke 18:1-8 Bob Dylan wrote it in 1973. Eric Clapton made a cover of it two years later in 1975. Even Guns N’ Roses gave it a shot in 1990. Do you know the song? It’s the one that goes “knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door.” So why do we start with that song? Because Jesus is teaching about prayer and he says, “Keep knocking. Keep asking until you get what you want.” Or , at least, that’s what the first verse makes us think this story is about. This story is a parable. A parable is an earthly story that reveals a heavenly truth. In his parables, Jesus is teaching about himself. As we read the Bible, we want to look for the things that are surprising. And this story tells us something surprising about grace. In Luke 18 , Jesus is talking to people who, like Garth Brooks, have unanswered ...