Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.
Some people who follow Jesus give his church 10 percent of their income. The Bible calls this a tithe and it was a requirement from the Old Testament portion of the Bible. Other people say 10 percent is more a guideline than a rule. I don’t see much support for this perspective—other than the fact […]
When it comes to giving to others there are two schools of thought. One is to give to whoever asks and the other is to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. The problem is, both of these are taught in the Bible, so which is it? The answer, as with many […]
When we ask God for something, is it a “once and done” effort or should we pray repeatedly until our request is granted? I think the answer is yes! If we truly believe God hears our prayers, then we only need to ask once. (And what’s the point of praying if we don’t think he […]
I’ve never considered myself to be a creative person, not like artists and musicians or architects and engineers. While I may be good at tweaking something existing, making something new is not how I’m wired. I’m definitely a left-brain thinker: analytical and logical, a processor of information and problem-solver. Yet, I’m also a writer—and writing […]
When we give something to others, there should be a spiritual element to our generosity. It’s more than just to be nice to them or to feel better about ourselves. There’s a spiritual aspect in giving that can honor God and connect us more closely with him. There’s also a spiritual aspect in receiving. Just […]
When some people pray, they pray expecting God will answer their prayers and good things will happen. When other people pray, they pray expecting there’s only an outside chance God will come through; bad things are bound to happen. When you pray do you expect God to say “yes” or expect him to say “no?” […]
The Great Three in One The prophet Isaiah gives four descriptive names for Jesus. They are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. However, I tend to think of Jesus as Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and so forth, but not so much the names Isaiah gives. In fact, to me, Wonderful Counselor seems […]
I was recently on LinkedIn and a familiar name from long ago popped up as someone I might know. At least it was a most familiar name, for in this instance my friend’s name was preceded with the word Rabbi. I was intrigued. I knew him through work and hadn’t seen him in twenty years. […]
At a church I recently visited, members shared prayer requests as part of the service. One lady raised her hand and simply said she had an “unspoken request.” Though I’ve not heard that phrase in a long time, it was a common utterance at a church I once attended. It was almost always said by […]
The Connections Between Faith and Writing Last weekend I attended the Festival of Faith and Writing conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although the words “faith” and “writing” both appear in the conference name, I expected the benefits of attending to be primarily writing related. While my expectations to learn more about the art and craft […]