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…
Category: Christianity
Getting Off of the Emotional Rollercoaster
As I prepared for my message (54:20) this past week, I gave a lot of thought to the role of emotions in the Christian’s life. How much do we rely on them? What weight should we give them in assessing our spiritual health? Is the presence of deep emotion the sign of deep spirituality or…
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…
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…
Standing For Life
Quick proud dad moment: I am so thankful to be the dad to two boys who love Jesus and desire to honor Him in all they do in the different stages of life they are in. Today, I’m extremely proud of my son Jacob’s bold stance in the fight for life as a college freshman….
The Winding, Hilly Road
They say the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That may be the case for most things, but that certainly does not apply to the journey from the cradle to the grave. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve written about that journey; about the hairpin turns that sometimes leave us with…
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…
No More Excuses: Thoughts on the SBC Expose
As I’ve read the Houston Chronicle’s expose, I’ve been heartbroken over the horrible abuses that have taken place within Southern Baptist churches and institutions over the past decades. There is simply no excuse. None. Although one person commented (in response to a Together For the Gospel article by Trevin Wax) that given the magnitude of…
Grace Defined
“Grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God.” ~John Piper, The Pleasures of God
Come Let Us Adore Him – Advent Devo
If you are interested in a good Advent devotional for you or your family, I would recommend this one by Paul David Tripp. Click on the large image below to check it out at Amazon.
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…
Held Fast
Last week, I had the privilege of taking Jacob with me to the Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, KY. Time nor space allows me to describe all that it meant to me, especially getting to share an experience like that with my son (and, hopefully, Andrew’s time is coming, too!). I will say…
Intentional Purity
It doesn’t happen by accident.
More Thoughts on Refugees
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote some initial thoughts on the refugee crisis. I mentioned that there is so much we cannot know in order to determine whether or not we should support taking in refugees. After listening to endless officials and pundits over the last several weeks analyze and argue their views, I still don’t…
Quick Thoughts on Refugees
As hard as it is, I am trying to look at the current refugee crisis carefully, thoughfully, morally and ethically. As I think about this, I have to realize there are so many unknowns behind the scenes that make it impossible for me, with all certainty, to take a “right” position. I find I have…
The Sky Isn’t Falling
There has been a great deal of chatter, as well as no small measure of fear and trepidation among the Christian community following the release of a Pew Research Poll that Christianity in America is in decline. This cartoon pretty well sums up the reality of what is happening. Credit: http://adam4d.com/death-of-christianity/
TGC Article: 8 Lies Christians Believe About Success
Man, this is such a great article on the lies Christians believe about being successful in life. If you are serious about being a faithful disciple of Jesus, I would highly recommend you read and re-read this from The Gospel Coalition blog. Here is an excerpt of a few of the lies we easily fall…
Reflecting on a Purpose-filled Life
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life…