Living a life for Jesus is living contrary to our culture Jesus often warns his followers to not be hypocrites. As an example of who not to emulate, he usually singles out the religious leaders. This is a sobering thought for anyone on a church...
When we do God’s work, our labor is not in vain As Paul winds down his first letter to the church in Corinth, he gives a simple command, followed by some encouragement. He says for them—and us, by extension—to remain diligent doing God’s work...
Many people carry misconceptions about the purpose of church, and we need to set aside that thinking Last Sunday in “What is Church,” I suggested we are the church. Church isn’t a place we go—not really. It’s who we are. As the church we should...
Helping others is one of many ways to worship God I like the stories about Jesus helping people in need, such as by feeding them and especially by healing them. Even more I like it when Jesus confronts the religious practices of the day. We have...
Our perspective on what it means to follow Jesus shapes how we think and act I’ve met people so fixated on heaven that they squander their time here on earth. Not only do they miss the opportunities before them, but they also offer a negative...
The book of Deuteronomy offers surprising insights into our relationship with God The book of Deuteronomy is never high on my reading list. The seemingly endless instructions about the form and format of God’s expectations for his people vex me...
We have an effect on everyone we meet. We can touch them in a positive way and leave them better off for whatever time we spend with them, or our interactions can have a negative impact and produce the opposite results. This might be at the...
I once met a guy who wanted to work in broadcasting. So he went to college. In his four-year degree, taking some forty classes, guess how many applied to broadcasting? Just three. While having secondary benefit, his other three dozen plus classes...
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. I’m thrilled whenever anyone desires...
Some people tell me they’ve never heard God speak to them. Of those, I suspect many actually do hear him and don’t realize it. For others, they need to train themselves to listen. And there may be a few with something blocking their ability to...
