Get Back Out There!
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:3-4, NIV) Had all you can take? Can’t lift one more burden? Worn out? At […]
Doing the Hard Work
“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.“ (James 3:18, The Message) I really like that interpretation of James 3:18 from The Message because it stacks up […]
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 […]
Good Shepherd, Good Friday
This week I am praying for a couple going through a divorce, a child who attempted suicide, a young man kicked out of his school, an unplanned teenage pregnancy, a scary emergency room visit, a husband out of work…just to name a few. Seeing the enemy’s hand in the lives of people I care about […]
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 […]
Why I’m Anti Grace
“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16, NIV) I’m anti grace. There, I’ve said it. And now I should probably explain it. In the verse above, John is talking about Jesus’ incarnation – how the Lord walked among us and we beheld his glory. And when […]
The Word became Flesh
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV) It’s hard to believe December is already here! If your home is like ours, the calendar fills up pretty quickly […]
In ALL Circumstances
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). God told the Israelites (famously repeated by Jesus) that man cannot live by bread alone. When God first said that, Israel was wandering in a desert wasteland. They were learning to trust God for his physical […]
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 […]
What to Wear?
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians […]
