Tag Archives: Bible

5 Things Christians can be “For”

In a culture attempting to define Christians as those “against” various issues, I’m finding it helpful to focus on what the Bible tells me to be “for”. Here’s a short list of 5: 1. The Gospel as “Good News” – … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Memo: A Little Known Fact about Prayer

Prayer is an incredible gift. As followers of Christ, we have the amazing privilege of personal conversation with the King of creation. The Bible contains many truths about prayer and three of them I was recently reminded of. These two … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life is What Happens While You’re Making Plans

That quote grabbed my attention recently and I caught myself daydreaming right in front of the person who said it (not unusual for me). How true though, life really is happening…every moment…of every day.” It was one of those reminders … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Memo: My Worst Enemy

There’s a guy who gets on my nerves. He comes around at the worst times, stays too long and drops negative comments. I’ve thought about punching him in the mouth, but I’m confident it wouldn’t do any good. I’ve considered … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Little Solid Ground in the Shifting Marriage Debate

In the past couple of years, the conversation about gay marriage has taken several turns. First there was mass criticism of Kirk Cameron and Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A, followed by a string of dust-ups and legal battles. With the steady stream of … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Quick Reminders from the Seed Parable

One of the cool things about the seed parable is that Jesus explained it. Found in Luke 8:4-15, it describes 4 different results of seed falling onto the ground. A combining of the story & explanation produces these pictures: The Hard Soil-no fruit … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Women’s Liberation and Jesus’ Ministry

Bible stories are unvarnished. Heroes of the faith are presented as they really were, including their struggles. Instead of glossing over faults, we get the true picture. When considering the Gospel narratives of Jesus’ ministry, we should take note of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Doubt Creeps In

John the Baptist was rugged, bold and popular. Imagine what the hipsters at Jerusalem U. were posting about him on FaceScroll; with the camel hair clothes and “Brood of vipers!” preaching! OK, maybe it wasn’t EXACTLY like that, but John … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just in case you ever wonder if Jesus cares…

Jesus was busy. There’s no doubt about it, the gospels show Jesus’ ministry years to be very demanding. With daily ministering and traveling, there was little down time. If we’re not careful, we can let that mental image influence our view … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Aw man, I was just about to say Amen too!”

Growing up, the good old-fashioned “Amen!” was common place in our church and others.  You can imagine the scene…strong preaching and sturdy words of affirmation working together in harmony. I guess it’s more a part of me than I realize, … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dealing with Political Correctness

Bullies are a fact of life. We’ve all encountered people who use intimidation as a method for getting what they want. An easy one-size-fits-all answer would be handy (like the good ole “5 across the lip”), but unfortunately it isn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How big is your God?

One of the earliest names for God in the Bible is God Most High (Genesis 14:18-20). It’s such an awesome description. No matter what we can see or imagine…He’s higher, bigger, and stronger. By the time of the first century, the … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What does “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” mean anyway?

I’m a Patriot. There are many reasons why (like an appreciation of our founders and a family history of soldiers dating back to the Revolutionary War), but for brevity I’ll narrow it to one…purpose. It’s stated in the thoroughly-deliberated-over, intentional … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Before Slicing the Turkey…

As we gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving, the first 4 verses of Psalm 105 is a great help in preparing our thoughts…  “Give thanks to the LORD. Call on His name; make known among the nations what He … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Screaming at T-Ball Games

Ok, I admit it. I scream at T-Ball games. Thankfully it’s not at the officials, (uh, except that one time, sorry Blue), but it’s screaming nonetheless. You see, I helped coach our son’s T-Ball team during “fall ball” and it … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Armor of God Prayer

Father, with the upcoming battles today being spiritual in nature, please help me to… Buckle          “14a…truth like a belt around [my] waist,” Strap on         “14b…righteousness like armor on [my] chest,” Lace up boots of           “15…readiness with the gospel of peace,” Firmly hold         “16…the shield … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Navigating Life by the Moment

Concerning money, it’s been said if you watch the pennies; the dollars will take care of themselves. I believe it can also be said if we focus on the moments; the days will take care of themselves. I’ve realized I … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wondering about God’s Plan

Life often doesn’t make sense. People, circumstances, and timing can lead us to wonder what God is doing. In the early part of the 1st century, the Jewish people still talked of the Messiah’s coming, but generations had come and … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Prayer Seems Unanswered

Have you ever felt like your prayer was going unanswered? Maybe an on-going situation or need for God’s provision? I remember a particular time in my life when I really wondered what the silence meant. I struggled to reconcile the … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Luke’s Model of Great Christian Writing

Imagine the answers in 40 A.D. if you’d gone around asking people their input on “Jesus of Nazareth”…kind of an ancient “Google search”. In addition to accurate testimony, there would have been wild stories, odd “explanations” and mythical tales. That … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment