Church – William Knelsen

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Fear vs Care

William · March 29, 2020March 29, 2020

Just two weeks ago I was faced with a decision to cancel some important organizational events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The response of several people was, “We should not act out of fear.” I agreed, but also said that this was not a response of fear, but of care. On March 12, I flew …

Why We Bought a House in Bergen

William · March 17, 2016

That’s right. We bought a house. We are as surprised as you are, but only because it seemed so far from possible. In another sense, though, we are not surprised at all. It has been the desire of ours to own property wherever we are pastoring. It has been our prayer that God would provide …

Permission to Forget My Last Sermon

William · December 26, 2015May 20, 2016

A question many pastors ponder is how to preach in a way that sticks in the minds of the hearers. Preachers have shortened their messages, made them more memorable through illustrations and multi-media, and increased interactivity through dialogue in an attempt to help hearers remember what was said Sunday morning. Jonathan Edwards helps us gain …

Christ the Bringer of God

William · July 29, 2015July 29, 2015

“Christ is not the bringer of a new religion, but rather the one who brings God.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jesus Christ and the Essence of Christianity. Where the church has gone wrong, I believe, is that we have seen Jesus as a way to get to God. But, he did not come to develop a new way …

Musings On Why Young People Leave the Church

William · June 16, 2015

I’m reading a book about why people leave the church after graduation. It’s called You Lost Me. There’s a statement in the beginning that caught my eye: “He and his bandmates were ‘all really embarrassed by and ashamed of a lot of the [Christian] subculture we came from, but not necessarily ashamed or embarrassed by …

When Madonna and the Church have the Same Message

William · December 24, 2014December 24, 2014

Do Madonna and the church offer the same message of hope? Living for Love These are the opening lyrics and the chorus for a song by Madonna titled “Living for Love” that hit #1 on music charts in 41 countries this week: First you love me and I let you in Made me feel like …

Generous Sacrifices: Hebrews 13:12-16 – Sermon from March 23, 2014

William · March 31, 2014

Note in this passage that those who identify themselves with Christ are not at home in the world, and so we should live in a way that is generous to God and generous to others. If what we have and where we live are not permanent, then we have no need to hold on to …

Robust in Love

William · February 14, 2014February 14, 2014

With today being Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to write on the topic of love. I am struck by this statement made by Eugene Peterson in Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing up in Christ.1 He states this as the subject of his book: “healthy in God, robust in love.”2 What does it …