Admittedly, there are days when I say to myself, “I can’t do this. The mountain in front of me is way too big to climb.” I strongly suspect that I am not alone in thinking this way. We all have days—maybe even seasons—when life seems really hard. When faced with such difficulties, we have a […]
One of the hallmarks of conservative Christianity is an unwavering support for the nation of Israel. Through conservative eyes, Israel is God’s chosen nation, so if a nation wants to be blessed by God, she must stand with Israel through thick and through thin. Exactly how biblical, we might ask, is the conservative position? The […]
Perhaps I am worthy of a good—if there is such a thing—stoning. Even questioning our conservative values seems somewhat blasphemous. The real problem, however, is that many conservatives—the very individuals who tenaciously adhere to the supremacy of Scripture—have allowed human voices to establish their worldviews. Talk show hosts and political action committees don’t always echo […]
It was the beginning of the lowest point of Simon Peter’s life. There stood Jesus, eyes piercing to the very depths of his soul. Peter knew the strength of his own loyalty to the Christ (or so he thought) and yet the words of the Lord had an unnerving effect. “Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan […]
For the most part, the Western church is in disarray. We have young people leaving the church in droves. Ungodly and immoral behavior is becoming widely accepted in our ranks. And our Christian leaders are falling like flies. Why? Because our builders have erred in laying a foundation of our understanding of grace. If we […]
Sometimes God’s word blows my mind! Its ramifications are so far reaching that my brain overheats while trying to comprehend it all. Such was the case recently as I began reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Right from the start, Paul captures the reader’s attention by focusing on the fact that God “chose us in […]
Sensational is what we want. Transformational is what we need. Sensational grabs our attention. Transformational often comes without glitter. In one of my favorite movie scenes (from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Indiana Jones is vying with the scoundrel, Donovan, as they compete to choose the Holy Grail—the cup of Christ—from among a dazzlingly display of […]
All of us probably have people that we don’t particularly like—those who rub us the wrong way with their attitudes or behavior. These are folks whom we simply prefer to avoid, doing our best to keep them at a comfortable distance. (I’m sure that at least a few others feel the same way about us!) […]
Once again, summer had come to an end and the next school year was upon us—as signified by our annual county fair. The array of flashing lights, the mixed smells of barbequed chicken and cotton candy, and the bold sounds of the high school band competition all contributed to the fair experience. After sampling a […]
I am in the process of writing and publishing a book, Champions in the Wilderness, which is an adventure in and of itself. Communicating through the written word can be challenging–especially when attempting to convey a particular emphasis. If I write, for example, “Bill had a wallet full of cash,” the reader might be left […]
