I recently heard someone call herself a “comfort-zone Christian.” Though I disagree with her self-diagnosis, I understand what she’s saying. Christians live their lives on different levels. Here are four to consider: First, some people are closet...
There are some people who try to earn their way into heaven. They do good and obey God’s commands – at least most of them anyway. They work hard their entire life to get God’s attention. Surely when their time comes, God will throw open the doors...
Let’s say a friend is reading a book. The opening draws him in. The characters are compelling. A fascinating plot unfolds. This is a great read, but then a unicorn walks into the scene. What? A unicorn? Unicorns don’t exist. They’re pretend...
The term “sacrifice of praise” is only found in one verse in the Bible. It’s a curious phrase. What does it mean? Whatever it may refer to, the first thing we see is we are to do it continually. We are to offer a constant sacrifice of praise to...
Last week I talked about not being able to remember sermons, often forgetting what I heard before I got home. I intended that to be an introduction to a recent sermon lesson that has stuck with me, one I will remember. But my post veered in a...
Because of our standing with God the Father, as a result of Jesus, the author of Hebrews tells us to do three things: 1) Draw Near to God: God wants a relationship with us and we should want one with him. We need to seek him with all diligence to...
I’ve heard several thousand sermons in my life. I can remember parts from about six of them. Not the whole thing, just parts. Seldom does the recollection of one message even make it to the next Sunday. More likely I’ve forgotten it by the time I...
People have different ideas about what you can and can’t do on Sundays, how you should and shouldn’t act. This ranges from Sunday being the same as every other day to Sunday being a solemn set-apart time when you go to church, rest, and do...
The Church in the House a Return to Simplicity By Robert Fitts (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Robert Fitts opens The Church in the House with a mission statement for a house church. Once he has readers engaged in the subject, he then builds a...
Are Visitors Welcome at Your Church? For the past several months, a roadside sign at a church proclaims “Visitors Welcome.” This amuses me. Isn’t that assumed? Doesn’t every church want to grow? I’ve never been to a church that had a “no...
