“‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Luke 10:36-37, NIV In the popular media, most problems seem to be solved by some … Continue reading –>
“He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel … Continue reading –>
When we understand redemption as freedom from a form of enslavement that required external assistance, we may conclude that sinful humanity is bound by a power or influence stronger than itself. The question that needs to be answered is, by what power or agency has sinful humanity been so bound? Study Romans 6:12-23. Notice that in … Continue reading –>
All serious-minded people experience, at some point in their lives, something like the following: After a nice social event—perhaps a dinner with guests—a discussion begins. The sad state of the world and current events provide common ground at first. Before long, someone begins to speak more—much more—than anyone else. The one-time social visit turns into … Continue reading –>
I began collecting baseball cards when I was 11, and Topps was the only baseball card company. Soon after that, Donrus and Fleer joined the baseball card-making industry. In order to compete with the unwelcome newbies in the market, Topps started printing on their baseball card packages, “The Real Ones!” Even at 11, I knew … Continue reading –>
We love titles, even in Christian circles. Whether it is Pastor, President, Professor, or Pope, titles are common currency in the church’s vocabulary. Inherent within some of those titles is the concept of hierarchy, authority and very often, privilege. The obvious or unseen but well-known underbelly of titles is church politics. A classic example of … Continue reading –>
Which would you rather hear? Be honest now. Wouldn’t you rather hear that your new haircut makes you look 10 years younger rather than that it makes your ears look really, really huge? Think back to when you were dating – when you first introduced someone you’d met to your friends, you wanted to hear … Continue reading –>
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, NKJV). What is Paul saying to us here? How can these words be applied in our experience? What “form of evil” must you, in your own situation, work extra hard … Continue reading –>
A chance encounter or divine appointment? You be the judge. Yesterday morning I woke up on my day off. Not sure how I wanted to spend it, I went to deliver some baptismal robes to a nearby church which needed them for Sabbath. When I stopped by my church to pick them up, my pastor … Continue reading –>
I have a theory that the followers of God have always had a job to do – a mission to accomplish – and, following my tendency to oversimplify things, I have concluded that we can narrow all the possibilities down to three specific tasks. From my perspective, the way the Bible tells God’s story fits … Continue reading –>
