1720 results for tag: Greg Albrecht


Son of a Preacher Man

By Greg Albrecht— Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" —Matthew 16:24-26 The passage in Matthew that forms the basis of our message talks about losing your life so that you might gain it. At first it may seem to you that Jesus' assertion amounts to little more than theological double-talk. But this teaching begins to make ...

When Your Dreams Wind Up in the Pit

By Greg Albrecht— "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing—and they took him and threw him into ...

The Pearl of Great Value

By Greg Albrecht— Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.—Matthew 13:45-46 We turn our attention to one of Jesus' parables about the kingdom of heaven. In the Authorized King James Version the parable is called The Pearl of Great Price. As I normally use the New International Version, we'll refer to it by the title given to it in that translation, The Pearl of Great Value. Here's the widely accepted Christian interpretation of this parable: The merchant is you or me. We decide to look for Christ, and finally, after ...

Ships That Pass in the Night

By Greg Albrecht— Many, even those unfamiliar with the Bible, have heard of Jonah. Most remember the story of Jonah as it is depicted in children's books—a man named Jonah who was swallowed by a big fish and lived to tell the tale. As we go a little deeper into the story (deeper even than the whale went with Jonah) we see that Jonah is yet another biblical example of how humans can completely misunderstand God. We can misunderstand God as Jonah did, and in terms of our relationship with God, be, as he was, like two Ships that Pass in the Night. The book of Jonah begins with God telling Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital city of the ...

Timeless Treasures from the Psalms

  It's just a little pocket Bible, small enough so my father could carry it with him as he served in the U.S. Navy during World War 2. My father was killed when I was only fifteen months old, and while I don't have memories of him, I do have mementos that have been given to me. I have some faded photographs, his old cigarette lighter, the flag that draped his casket when he was buried, some copies of the newspaper describing the tragedy of his death—and I have that little New Testament Bible, which also includes the Old Testament book of Psalms. I don't know how much he read that little pocket Bible, but when I hold it I somehow feel ...

January 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Mission Possible – pg. 1 Set Free From Sins – pg. 2 Finding Humor Even in Dark Places – pg. 5 Birthday Cards – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Q & R: Greg Albrecht – “Does Satan exist?”

Question I just listened to one of your sermons broadcast and after being with Plain Truth ministries for a LONG time, I was quite surprised when you said you didn't know if Satan exists? The Bible says that God created the devil as the most perfect beautiful angel he could make, but because of his beauty he turned against God and persuaded 1/3 of the angels to go with him, he was thrown down to Earth. I don't know why I'm writing this. You're more knowledgable than I am, or at least I thought you were. I've settled in my mind that Satan exists as an evil influence, and that as humans, we're capable of evil but Satan with his influence makes things ...

Q & R with Greg Albrecht – “Are Catholics Christians?”

QUESTION Is there a difference between a Christian and a Catholic? RESPONSE No, there isn’t necessarily any difference between a Christian and a Catholic, or a Christian and a Lutheran, or a Christian and a Baptist. On the other hand, not all Catholics, Lutherans or Baptists are Christians simply because of their membership in a specific denomination. Christianity is a personal relationship between God and humans, and no human organization has the exclusive right to represent God on earth. Some doubt that there are any Christians at all in certain churches, and some Protestants typically have this view toward Catholics. This issue goes back to the ...

October 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Monte Wolverton: Making Change– pg. 3 Brad Jersak: The Truth About Condemnation– pg. 6 Brian Zahnd: Trying Hard Not to Be Ugly – pg. 8 Laura Urista: What Are We Really Singing? – pg. 10 Blair Baker: Music Ministry: Beyond Manipulation – pg. 12 Richard Rohr: God Is Good – pg. 14 Greg Albrecht: But What About Works -pg. 15

September 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Creating God in Our Own Image – pg. 1 Heart and Soul – pg. 2 Blessings and Curses? – pg. 5 My Cousin Valerie – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="190"]

July 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Let's Make a Deal – pg. 1 Who Is God and What Is He Like? – pg. 2 Healing Weary Words – pg. 5 Reflections in Pools – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="188"]

June 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: Only God Is Good– pg. 1 Steve Brown: Don't Miss Out on Your Real Father– pg. 6 Felicia Murrell: Magic Genie or Heavenly Father? – pg. 8 Stephen Crosby: Praying Into the Abyss of Despair – pg. 9 Brian Zahnd: God's Love in Granite – pg. 11 Greg Albrecht: Can I Do This Faith Journey... -pg. 14

May 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Religion: Where Is the Love? – pg. 1 Not That Kind of Christian – pg. 2 The Power of God's Love – pg. 5 Happy 100th Birthday – pg. 6 Crowned with Tender Mercies – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="186"]

April 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: Bury the Hatchet– pg. 3 Greg Albrecht: The Blood Curse Lie– pg. 7 Brian Zahnd: The Sign that Saves – pg. 9 Wm. Paul Young: The Killing House – pg. 11 Felicia Murrell: No Shadow of Turning – pg. 14 Greg Albrecht: More than a Watchmaker -pg. 15

March 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Thank God I'm Not Like... – pg. 1 Is It True? – pg. 2 Does God Save Us from God? – pg. 5 Human Sacrifice – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="184"]

February 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: Trending: Deconstruction– pg. 3 Greg Albrecht: Aroma of Love, Stench of Greed– pg. 6 Rachel Ramer: Heirs to Religious Angst – pg. 8 Stephen Crosby: Confessions of a Christian Idiot – pg. 11 Peter Enns: No Contradictions in the Bible! You Heard Me! – pg. 13 Brad Jersak: “According to the Scriptures” -pg. 15

Generosity Without Expectations – Greg Albrecht

A youth group from a prosperous North American suburb volunteered to help a pastor serve meals in an inner-city soup kitchen. Before this experience, most of these young people had only seen homeless people through their car windows as they and their family happened to drive through a poor part of town. It was just before Thanksgiving, and the young people served a hot meal of beans, turkey, mashed potatoes and yams to a long line of people. As they filed past these young people filling empty plates with generous servings, few of the homeless people made any eye contact with the young people who were serving the free meal, and only a few ...

Q&R follow-up with Greg Albrecht – Would Jesus Attend a Gay Wedding?

This Q & A is a response to Greg Albrecht's "Pastoral Perspective" column in the October edition of CWRm. To view the original Q & A, entitled, "Should I attend my gay daughter's wedding?" CLICK HERE and go to page 14. A CWRm read wrote in with this follow-up question and Greg responds.   QUESTION I read your Pastoral Perspective in the October 2017, CWRm and what I get from your answer is, “It's your decision there is no right or wrong answer.” You even claim Jesus attended “sinful and spiritually toxic places.” I would like you to elaborate on that, because I don't know what your are referring to. I'm sure if he ...

November 2018

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Enslaved by Religion...Or Free in Christ? – pg. 1 Success by Excess Is Not True Greatness – pg. 2 Thanksgiving Banquets and the Kingdom of Heaven – pg. 5 When Life Downsizes – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="180"]

See How He Loves You – Greg Albrecht

There's a great story about a little boy who was trying to learn the Lord's Prayer. One night he was kneeling down by his bed, and he prayed: "Our Father who are in heaven, how do you know my name?" St. Augustine, revered as one of the great theologians of the Christian faith, once said that Jesus loves each of us as if there was no one else to love. Time after time we read in the four Gospels about people Jesus met who felt and experienced his radically personalized, individual affection—no one they had ever known had talked to them, treated them and spent time with them the way Jesus did. The eyes out of which Jesus saw and ...