On Sunday, I shared an excerpt im my sermon from the post Tim Challies wrote the day after his 21 year-old son, Nick, suddenly died. Today, I want you to read the “manifesto” he wrote as a resolution to how he would deal with it that he recently shared. I know you will be challenged…
Category: Christian Living
Do You Believe Into Christ?
Do you ever consider the difference in believing in Jesus as compared with other things you believe in but that don’t have much impact in your life? If not, you probably should. Consider the opening words of J.I. Packer’s classic book, Growing in Christ: When people are asked what they believe in, they give, not…
Shaking Away the Chaff
Anyone who knows me knows that I love everything about coffee, from roasting to drinking. I have roasted my own coffee beans for about 20 years. Even so, a very simple but profound truth came to mind while roasting this past Saturday. When I finish roasting, I take the round cage full of beans and…
Is living in peace your priority?
Are you actively pursuing peace in your life? It usually takes great intentionality and always humility. Let’s be honest, neither of those comes easy. Conflict is exhausting and pride is strong. Even so, living in real peace is a worthy prize — something I’m trying to focus on and improve in my own life and…
Keller: “Everything is Going to Be Alright”
Timothy Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, has stage four Pancreatic cancer. That’s not news—he’s been talking about it for some time. He has also been candid that he’s aware his time left here is limited. I greatly appreciate his honest hope in the midst of suffering and the reality of physical…
Cancel Culture
One of my biggest priorities growing up was to be liked. I needed to be liked. I didn’t like myself and thought if others did, it would cancel my own opinion. That rarely worked. I think that’s why there is so much emphasis in Scripture against focusing on the approval of men: humans are fickle…
Somebody Threw a Glass Slipper at Cinderella
Update 3/26/21: apparently, Ms. Jhaveri has been fired from USA Today. In other words, the who called for ORU to be canceled…was canceled. ————- I have never been a supporter of Oral Roberts Ministries. However, the policies being roundly condemned by the writer of this USA Today article only apply to students who choose to…
Article Recommendation: Christianity is Not Just About A Personal Relationship With Jesus
I mentioned a thought-provoking article on Sunday that I promised I would share on my website this week. The author of the article, Chad Bird, argues that when we are called into a relationship with God, it is not so much about a personal relationship with Jesus but is much more accurately described as a…
Meditation for Today: Grace
I have found that the idea of grace is a wonderful concept to think about but a whole ‘nother thing to live! In my own life, I find that I don’t like to give myself grace. Let me rephrase that: I want to give myself grace—I just usually don’t. I am often my own…
Hidden in Plain Sight
At The Gathering on Sunday, I talked about how easy it is for us to become complacent in our journey with Jesus. Complacency can sneak up on us as we become so familiar with grace and become so comfortable in our salvation that the whole thing can become somewhat blasé (That’s French for, “meh”). That…
Ethnic Unity Lecture
Last night, I had the privilege of delivering a short lecture to the Chattanooga-Hamilton County BM&E District Association’s Unity Week & Congress of Christian Education. It was a true joy to see many of our Gathering church members sitting amongst and worshiping with some wonderful Christian brothers and sisters of the African American community. Our…
The Mind-blowing Nature of Grace
One of the most challenging aspects of the Gospel is the amazing grace of God that declares Believers as perfect in Christ. It is hard to grasp because we know we’re still sinners. How can we be both sinners and sinless at the same time and, if true, how can we live in that reality?…
Birds of a Feather: Understanding the Need for Real Community
The random honking was faint at first. Then through the trees I could see the flapping of wings as they approached from the East. Now in full view, they banked to the left making a complete u-turn in full formation, gliding as they made their approach down to their landing area. In the final few…
But God: The Foundational Truth
Last week, I wrote about the amazing chapter 2 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he reminds them of God’s amazing power to change the course of life through His everlasting mercy. I mentioned that the recent experience of my Dad’s very serious illness from which he is currently recovering reminded me of his…
The Proven Character of Our Faith
Several years ago, my friend, Todd, called me with news that he had developed terminal cancer. I remember hearing the strength in his voice. It was noteworthy, not only because he had just received the news no one wants to hear, but because my own voice was shaky as my heart sunk at the news….
Aliens in a Strange Land
In Galatians 1:3-4, Paul writes that Jesus “gave himself to rescue us from this present evil age.” It seems like every day we’re confronted in new and more blatant terms just how evil this present age is. On the one hand, it can be heart-breaking to see a culture in constant decline and that reality…
Some Quick Thoughts on Fear
Fear is one of the most crippling things in life. It causes us to fall back in the face of opposition or danger. It prevents us from taking advantage of great opportunities that could alter our lives for the good. It leads us to play it safe when anything worth having involves some level of…
Shelved Blessings
How happy are you right now? Seriously, are you over-the-moon kind of crazy-happy in your life? Blessed? Certainly, better than you deserve, but do you experience real blessing in your life such that you are overwhelmed at how good life is…how good God has been to you? Sometimes, the blessings of life seem to hide…
Intentional Purity
It doesn’t happen by accident.
Owned
This is a passage that, if you consider it honestly and seriously, will rock your world and radically change your priorities: Luke 12:31-34 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to…
Perspective on Possessions
From, For the Love of God, by D. A. Carson: “You’ve seen the bumper sticker: “The person with the most toys wins.” Wins what? The person with the most toys takes out of this life exactly what everyone else does. A billion years or so into eternity, how many toys we accumulated during our seventy…