Posts from April 2026

I had some unique and wonderful grandmothers… both of them… and in my typical Billy Arnold story telling fashion, I have some fun stories about them. But this story is from the life of my maternal grandmother is helping  me shape the sermon I’m going to bring this coming Sunday morning. Bear with me, there is a point here: Grandma Holleman had 5 children with my grandfather; 3 boys and 2 girls. My mom was the oldest girl and second…

We are in the last few weeks in this series of sermons that we’ve titled “Creation to New Creation.”  The passage that I would ask you to read and meditate on before you come to worship is Revelation 19:1-10. Revelation is often one of those Bible books that are confusing and often overlooked (much like the Old Testament book of Leviticus I referred to a few weeks ago). But Revelation is not a puzzle that we are left on our…

There are many Christian concepts that have great overlap in meaning. Kindness and love. Hope and faith. Grace and mercy. If a person is kind, then the person is usually loving, too. But what is the difference? Is there a difference? If one has hope, does she also have faith? What’s the similarity? If God is gracious and merciful, are these mere synonyms or not? This week, the Christian concept we will meditate on is mercy. The dictionary definition of…

I’ve been reading the book of Leviticus lately, working my way slowly through this book that we know of as a serious and blunt book of the LAW.  I’ve told you many times that I enjoy reading a chapter or two from the Bible from multiple sections of the Bible.  Currently my readings come out of Old Testament books of Leviticus, 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, Hosea… the New Testament Luke, Romans, and Titus… then finish it off with a Psalm. The…

He is risen! (Slightly early, but I couldn’t wait.) What a celebration Easter Sunday is and has been for the Christian Church. Have any of you continued to have a small question hopping in your mind every time Easter comes around? Why is a pagan, German bunny always tied to a historic Christian celebration of Easter? Without wasting much of your time, yes, the birth of the bunny (or hare) connected to Easter is likely from a bit of German…