Offended!
This last year I noticed an interesting paradox in our society. First, our culture has a continuing love-affair with fame. It seems folks will do or say almost anything to be noticed by others. But in 2016, the pursuit of popularity ran headlong into another emerging trend in our society: we are offended easily and, […]
My Hope is in You
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.“ (Romans 5:5, NIV) I saw a political bumper sticker the other day that actually made me laugh. Picture a typical political endorsement but instead of the politician’s name it read […]
America’s “Self-Terrorism”
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not […]
God-Shaped Holes
““My people have committed a compound sin: they’ve walked out on me, the fountain of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns— cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves. “ (Jeremiah 2:13, The Message) Blaise Pascal famously said that we humans were created with a God-shaped hole in our souls. This longing/desire […]
What’s in a Word?
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” I love this quote. When I read it I think Lewis Carroll must have been a prophet, describing 21st century U.S. rather than 1865 England. Think about it. […]
I Will!
Ever wonder why Jesus always had a crowd surrounding him? People wanted to be near him. People wanted to listen to him. He called people to their best – but didn’t belittle them at their worst. His personal standard of living was holy, but not holier than thou. He was religious, but not part of […]
Being the Church
Jesus was known to upset an applecart or two in his day. In his most famous sermon, he went through a whole list of cultural norms and modified them. One in particular was love. It is natural for us to love our friends and hate our enemies. But God wants us to extend our boundaries […]
Be the Church
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really […]
With Salt
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV) Many of us western Christians, perhaps for the first time, are learning what it is like to […]
Spitting Out the Bones
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed […]
Confoundedly Simple
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the […]
The Simple Christian Life
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and […]
