“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1). So says the satanic serpent. “We may eat fruit from the tree in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not…
Read More
What we grow up with, we become convinced is normal. One of the great joys and one of the great sadnesses I experience as a pastor is hearing people’s stories. It’s a joy because often they include miracles of God’s saving, redemptive, and restorative power. It’s a sadness because before the salvation, redemption, and restoration…
Read More
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 Imagine going on a hike through the forest and getting lost. What was supposed to be a 2-hour…
Read More
Faith. The word is thrown around quite a bit. “Where is she in the faith?”“Does he have faith?”“I have faith.” For most religious people, ‘faith’ is important. But why? “[We] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we…
Read More
When someone chooses to play the “judge card” it’s like playing the ace of spades. It trumps everything else. It puts people on their heels. Because the “judge card” is what it is today, there are a variety of subjects that seem to be untouchable. The result? There is a fear of being labeled “judgy”…
Read More
Jesus said the two greatest commands are: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Our best energy should be used in the pursuit of these two commands. I want to take a moment to offer one reflection on how to do that. Take a…
Read More
Let’s be honest. Our prayer lives can be anemic. And often, our times of prayer only heat up when things are difficult. In those difficult times we cry out to God to solve our problems, but how much of our prayer time should be used for this kind of praying? Studying the apostle Paul’s prayers…
Read More
Marriage is awesome! It can also be difficult. There are numerous factors that contribute to it being a mishmash of both. In conversation and counseling with couples I am convinced God’s blueprint for marriage, particularly as outlined in Genesis 1-3, needs to be stated and restated. One feature to that blueprint that requires emphasis: male leadership….
Read More
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