Anecdotally, Christianity is the “singingest” religion. It probably wouldn’t take too much work to verify this peculiarity. But why is that? Historically, why has Christianity always involved so much singing and music? Depending on your church background, this may seem strange to you, so let me offer a few reflections on this. As always, we’ll…
Read More
One of the most startling stories in the gospels is found in Mark 2. Jesus has gained a reputation for being a miracle worker. He’s healed countless people and demonstrated his authority over the demonic world. A paralyzed man has caught wind of this and through the help of his friends hatches a plan that…
Read More
Imagine a conversation like this: Skeptic: I don’t believe in Christianity.Christian: Why not?Skeptic: Because science can prove some of the stuff in the Bible isn’t possible. There’s no way it could have happened.Christian: So science is what you use to determine what is true?Skeptic: Yes.Christian: How did you decide science is what you would use to determine what…
Read More
I’ll be away at a conference this week, so I won’t be posting any original material. However, I thought I’d give you a sampling from around the web. There are some very pertinent and helpful gems in this list. Happy reading…and reflecting! 7 Reasons Sports Matter So Much to So Many: Barnabas Piper writes, “Last…
Read More
Christians are exiles. That is, what Christians believe is becoming increasingly strange to the culture around us. We don’t need to fear this because God’s people have been here before. In the Bible, we are called ‘exiles,’ ‘strangers,’ and ‘foreigners,’ dozens of times. There’s plenty in the pages of Scripture to direct our thinking and…
Read More
Found all throughout life, including sports, there is story. A plot is established. There’s a sense of anticipation. Good stories create tension, dissonance, and mystery. There are moments where the story is not going the way you would like. There are even times when the story doesn’t end the way you’d like it to; but…
Read More
New Year’s resolutions are upon us. Goal setting can be a good thing, and perhaps one goal you need to have in 2016 is to be less busy. Here’s one thought that may help fuel your motivation. Jesus was a busy man. He was in high demand. Crowds flocked to Him. Everybody wanted a piece…
Read More
We are living in the golden age of Christian publication. I am grateful to God for that! Here are my top 10 favorite reads of 2015. 10. Christ and Culture Revisited – D.A. Carson: To what degree is the church called to change the culture? What expectations should we have? Should we expect the church to…
Read More
“I know what I need. My motives are pure. Certainly this prayer request is something God would want to answer.” How often do these thoughts run through our minds? And when He doesn’t give us what we asked for, we’re perplexed and even a bit agitated. How do we deal with unanswered prayer? Jesus addresses…
Read More
High school was challenging for me. I attended a large public high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a graduating class of 460 students. Socially it was a nightmare. I had come from a very small, private middle school and as a result was clueless to what was and was not “cool.” Early in my…
Read More