Wednesday morning, during the intercessory prayer portion of my time with God, the names of three couples jumped off the prayer list. They are all former church leaders (pastor, elder, deacon) all securely married two years ago, who are now divorced or going through a divorce. God’s mercy can be experienced whether married or divorced. However, I know each of … Read More
I sat in the audience as the pastor gave a stirring and somewhat convicting sermon around the theme of anger. As the sermon came to a close I was hoping he would give me help in dealing with my own anger issues. Instead, he turned our attention to the many recent shootings, focusing on the gunman’s anger issues. “Isn’t it … Read More
,,,that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind our own business, and to work with our own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. 1 Thessalonians 4.11,12 I read and meditated on this passage Wednesday morning. Something (or Someone) significant pulled at my … Read More
I have an issue when it comes to moving forward on my spiritual journey. When I renew intentions for some aspect of my life – spiritually, physically, financially, emotionally, or vocationally – I inevitably begin to compare myself to others. I do this to give myself reasons to slough off. I can always compare myself to someone who is not … Read More
On Monday I sat in waiting rooms for over six hours as my son, Nate, prepared for and then underwent surgery. I observed that 95% of the people in the waiting rooms were overweight, including me. Obviously, most people had, over time, ingested more calories than they had expended. I felt like I was at the typical church where every … Read More
All my life I’ve been in training of some sort. I once had to answer the question: “How many years have you attended school?” I started adding them up: K-12 = 13, college = 4, seminary = 3, PhD = 6. Total = 26! Good grief! At that point almost half my life had been spent in school. I enjoyed … Read More
“I’m so angry with my boss I’d love to burn down his office and watch him suffer. Damn! What am I saying? This has gotta’ stop. I’m hopeless. I need to get out of the way and let God do his thing in me,” Eric explained to Tom as they enjoyed his new boat while fishing on Lake Jasper. Tom … Read More
I’m reading a book by journalist Warren Berger entitled A More Beautiful Question. It is a fascinating look at the powerful nature of questioning to ignite change in companies, schools, and individuals. Deep and imaginative questioning can help us identify and solve problems, develop life-changing ideas, and pursue fresh opportunities. Berger presents a “Why/What If/How” system of inquiry that guides … Read More
Are you tired of the same old information for Christian living and spiritual growth rehashed and repackaged again and again? If you’ve observed the direction of evangelicalism the past 4-5 decades you’ve seen this happen. Speakers and writers try to convince us that what they have is new and more effective for living as a Christian. Better worship experiences, discipleship … Read More
There is a story in the July/August 2018 edition of Reader’s Digest by Mark Divine, Commander, U.S. Navy SEALS (Retired) that relates well to how we are to really live the Christian life. Some Christians believe the Christian life is all about living morally and ethically, following the rules of behavior set down by some authority. They think how you … Read More
