born and raised twice in the bay, I preach Jesus and him crucified
Ever wonder why Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy? Forty-two names. Centuries of history. Many people skim it. Matthew slows us down. He begins with roots. We live in a world shaped by questions of identity. People search ancestry records and DNA results, hoping to discover who they are and where they belong. First-century... Continue Reading →
Base image generated using artificial intelligence and subsequently edited and adapted. We find ourselves holding opinions we do not remember forming. On justice. On sexuality. On power. On enemies. Ask when the shift happened, and the answer blurs. We do not recall a moment of decision. We recall a drift. What once seemed clear now... Continue Reading →
We all know the feeling of something being out of joint. A love that will not settle. A desire that promises life and delivers restlessness. Most people carry this quietly into the week. We learn to manage it, rename it, or baptize it with softer language. Scripture does not rush past that ache. It pauses... Continue Reading →
“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”” (1 Kings 3.9, ESV) Solomon asks God for a לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ (lēb šōmēaʿ, “a listening heart”). He does not ask for brilliance or advantage. He asks for moral... Continue Reading →
My friend Cecelia recently posed a thought-provoking question about the Hebrew words for 'breath' in the creation account. It's worth exploring. Most of us move through our days without noticing our breathing: until anxiety tightens the chest, grief catches the throat, or exhaustion shortens what once felt free. We carry the quiet fear that our... Continue Reading →
Phillip W. Martin 