Can You Be a ______ and Still Be a Christian? We Must Be Careful Not to Judge Others Based on Who We Are or What We Do Over the years I’ve heard many people wonder out loud about the validity of another Christian’s faith based on what they do or...
A Fresh Sunday Experience (Visiting Church #38) The church meets in the all-purpose room of a local school. The atmosphere is casual, with people milling about, talking, sipping coffee, and munching snacks. With all ages represented, we see many...
Why I’m Against Seminary Training The first time someone said this to me, I was both excited and dismayed: “God’s calling me to full-time ministry—so I’m going to seminary.” Though I’ve now heard it many times since, my reaction is the same to...
Traditionally, the new year is a time when many people resolve to make changes in their life. Making new year’s resolutions, however, is a practice that I tend to avoid. It seems arbitrary and contrived to target January first. After all, if a...
What Can Ten Righteous People Do? The Bible includes the account of Abraham discussing the future of Sodom with God. Abraham is torn, he knows the city is corrupt and warrants punishment, but he also carries concern for his nephew Lot who lives...
God’s Lost and Found: Our Heavenly Father Watches and Waits for Us The Parable of the Lost Son Shows God’s Unconditional Love Jesus teaches us of his Father’s unconditional love in a parable. Some people call this story “The Prodigal Son,” but...
A Family That Likes to Sing (Visiting Church #37) Including us, twenty-one people have gathered. Up front, a rugged wooden cross has a purple cloth draped over it and a white dove perched on the crosspiece. The bird seems out of place until my...
It is hard for me to imagine, but 2019, which seems like it just started, has come to an end. The practice of staying up late to greet the New Year has always seemed like a strange practice to me. However, as a teen, any excuse to...
What Did the First Church Do? Just days after Pentecost, the people who follow Jesus begin to hang out. This is the first church. What did they do? Luke records four key things: They learn about Jesus (think of this as a new believer’s class...
The Origin of Purim Early each spring our Jewish friends celebrate Purim. The origin of Purim is found in the book of Esther, which is a beautiful and moving story: In a rags to riches manner, Esther was whisked from obscurity to become queen. ...
