Jerry Daley. Senior Pastor 
GraceLife Church, Columbia, SC

I, like many of you, read The Prodigal God and loved it. He asks a telling question: “Why do people like Jesus but not the church?” His answer: Sinners were drawn to Jesus. The younger brother types. Keller seems to think that churches have a lot of elder brothers.

I’m not sure he mentions this; but I think we have all started out as younger brothers only to discover a creeping little tendency toward the elder brother thing. In fact, I suspect that we can, at times, find a little of both brothers in our hearts. Darn!

I could give you some peeks at thoughts that are from the elder brother; but I’ll bet you already know.

Now that I think about it, both Galatians and Hebrews were written to Christians who had  lost their peace and joy as elder brothers.

Maybe this is why I so often need a Refresher Course in: “Cease trying so hard, stop worrying, knock it off with the “under it stuff”; and rest in the finished work of Christ! Do you read Gal.3:1, the way I do? “What is the world is wrong with you Jerry? Did somebody bewitch you? Did Christ die for you or not? Is it by you or Me? Are you trusting me for your worth, adequacy, sufficiency?”

Then maybe, its just me.

Jerry Daley