Will Vaus

When my wife, Becky, got pregnant the first time we read everything we could about what was happening in the womb during each month of the pregnancy. But as we approached her due date, we were especially looking for signs of her going into labor: her water breaking and/or the pains of contractions.   It’s sort of funny now looking back on it, but none of the three births worked themselves out in textbook fashion.  In Matthew 24:8, Jesus compares the signs of the end of the age to birth pangs. However, I think many people over the course of the last two thousand years have misread these signs, just as we misread the signs of birth, when we were new to the whole parenting thing. The key verse in Matthew 24 is verse 34. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Jesus gives us several signs of the end of the age in this passage. But I don’t think he is talking about the end of world history as many h...

When I was in seminary, I received the following letter from a Christian friend who had, at one time, served in youth ministry and who later went on to become a lawyer. I had written to my friend, referring to him as St. Dave. This was Dave’s response…   Will—   I had to chuckle when I got your letter in that you entitled me a saint! You and I both know that that is far from the truth. I’ve always considered myself quite the opposite—fighting at least once (usually much more) every day from falling beyond the reach of even God’s mighty arms of love   That letter illustrates for me a misconception that I think many people have. That misconception is that  saints  are the extraordinary Christians, the ones with more righteousness than the rest of us. According to my friend’s line of thinking… clergy are saints, seminary students are saints, people in stained glass windows are saints… but not the rest of us.   Paul thought otherwise. Paul insists that we are a...

Listen for God’s word to you from Philippians 4:10-20… I rejoiced greatly in the Lord  that at last you renewed your concern for me.   Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.   I am not saying this because I am in need, for  I have learned to be content   whatever the circumstances.   I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,   whether living in plenty or in want.   I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share   in my troubles.   Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days   of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia,   not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;   for even when I was in Thessalonica,   you sent me aid more than once when I was in need...

I have been preaching since I was sixteen years old, so that means I have been at this for the better part of forty-six years. Out of all my experiences of preaching in many countries and many different settings, I have never had anyone respond to the passage we are going to read today by saying: “Oh, that doesn’t apply to me.” The topic we are going to cover today is one of the most universally relevant subjects to most people on planet earth. I am talking about the problem of worry. We probably live in one of the most anxious periods of time in the history of the world. And we probably also live in one of the most anxious cultures. So, we probably need Paul’s message on this topic here and now more than ever. Listen for God’s word to you from Philippians 4:4-9… Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!   Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.   Do not be anxious about anything,   but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with than...