February 21st, 2017
Tags:
I can remember as a child that my parents had a trash compactor in the kitchen. To me, it was a neat machine. We could stuff all manner of trash into the can, close the door, hit the button, and then listen to the compactor crush and squeeze the trash into a nice package.
February 14th, 2017
We definitely live in a time when people enjoy many creature comforts. I suppose it’s because I’m quickly aging, but I can remember a time when new cars were not automatically equipped with air conditioning.
February 7th, 2017
A pet peeve of mine is when ministers stand in the pulpit and read the Bible and do so with no inflection. It sounds like the pastor is reading entries in a dictionary . . .
January 31st, 2017
I can remember sitting in church as a young teenager as my pastor posed a question about the possible links between demon possession and mental illness.
January 24th, 2017
I recently received a Christian bookstore catalog in the mail, and so I began to flip through its pages, naturally. One thing I noticed was how large the Bible section was.
January 17th, 2017
In the wake of the death and resurrection of Christ a number of Jesus’ disciples failed to receive word that their Lord and Savior had arisen from the dead. Under the impression that Jesus was dead in his tomb, the disciples walked on the road to Emmaus until a visitor joined them along the way.
January 10th, 2017
If I were to ask my students to give me a list of the top ten theological rock stars, I suspect I know who most of the names that would appear. In many respects, this is understandable.
January 3rd, 2017
We live in an age of celebrity where people become famous for merely being famous—they have little talent or significant skills. They have become adroit at taking selfies and giving people the impression that they’re someone to watch and emulate.
December 27th, 2016
If there’s a part of prayer that few Christians need encouragement to include, it’s supplication. One of the privileges of redemption is our adoption, the fact that our union with Christ grants us the status as God’s sons.
December 20th, 2016
One of the common characteristics we find in the apostle Paul’s letters is the number of times he gives thanks to God in prayer. The opening of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is an example of this: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:16).
December 13th, 2016
The familiar phrase, “forgive us our debts,” is probably known to most Christians because it comes from the Lord’s Prayer. When Christ’s disciples asked him how they should pray, Jesus identified the confession of sin as one of the key elements of prayer (Matt. 6:12).
December 6th, 2016
I think one of the weakest areas of the Christian life for many is prayer. We seldom spend significant time in prayer unless we find ourselves in a period of suffering or trial. Under such circumstances we might regularly engage in prayer.
November 29th, 2016
I regularly come upon the phrase, “hack,” and people use it to denote a shortcut or way to bypass unnecessary problems or obstacles. One of my favorite websites, in fact, is dedicated to “life hacks”—articles that show you how to solve many common problems.
November 22nd, 2016
I used to have a regular standing appointment with a widower in my congregation. We’d get together for coffee every Friday morning and we’d chat.
November 15th, 2016
When Spanish explorer Hernan Cortez reached the new world in 1519 he gave orders to his men to burn their ships. Why would he do such a thing?
November 8th, 2016
What’s the best way to build and hone a skill? Daily practice. This is true with many skills in life, but especially true regarding the biblical languages.
November 1st, 2016
This past spring I had my first experience as a parent sitting on the sidelines and cheering for my son as he played organized team soccer. I have to say it was quite the experience.
October 25th, 2016
One of the most important things you can do as a pastor to prolong your ministry is to take vacations. It may sound odd, but it’s true. As a pastor you need to take time off to recharge your batteries.
October 18th, 2016
As a pastor you will be the recipient of thousands of questions throughout the course of your ministry. At first, the thought of this can be quite intimidating: “How can I possibly be ready to answer questions about any theological topic?”
October 11th, 2016
When you go to church what do you hope to get out of the sermon? This is a question we should ask ourselves on a regular basis. I think most people rightly want to be edified, encouraged, and comforted.
