During the dead-locked Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787, Benjamin Franklin had this to say: "The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of men.’ And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire …
Category Archives: Devotional
Christmas, Birth and Death
Boxing up all the stuff in my apartment. The death of one phase, the birth of another. Contemplating. Listening to Christmas music on the radio while working. Loved Michael Buble’s rendition of, “All I Want For Christmas.” I know it’s sappy lovey-dovey, but I like it anyways ‘cus it reminds me the most important things …
Anxiety Related to Expectations
I’ve noticed the less I try to accomplish, the lower my anxiety becomes. However, it’s usually not enough for me to have just one goal. I often have about ten. Maybe you can’t relate to this, but I don’t usually feel good about myself unless I’m accomplishing things. This trip has been a good example. …
Joseph As A Figure of Christ
The message last night was on Joseph. In particular, the message was on self-control and the life of Joseph was used as an example. Some people would debate whether Joseph is a “type” of Christ so we will use the term “figure” instead because there are definitely shadows and allusions to Christ in Joseph’s life, …
Changing Lanes
Do you hate change? Most people do. No doubt about it, change is uncomfortable. I’ve noticed most people change things occasionally, some people change things up ALL the time…… then still others rarely make any changes. Case in point: I drove up to Newton this evening and performed a test. I set my cruise control …
Onward and Upward
Spinach greens, red peppers, green peppers – for a salad. That’s what my friend Keith brought last night when he came by for supper. I added cheese and pulled out several dressings from the fridge. Sitting down to eat, Keith was about to pour some Italian dressing on his salad when I stopped him, "Hey! …
Prepare Yourself
I have a co-worker who ran into a curb this morning with his car. It slid on ice and bent his rim. He didn’t have a car jack or tire iron, incredibly. He also was only wearing a cotton hoodie though it was 5 degrees out (yes, that would be Fahrenheit). The Boy Scout motto …
Challenging Status Quo, from the Bride Rebekah to the Bride the Church
Safety, comfort, and stability are basic goals for all civilizations. Here in America we’ve perhaps attained those goals closer than any other civilization, past or present. Here’s my question, “For Followers of Jesus, should safety, comfort, and stability be our goals as well?” I’ve been struck with how flippantly I treat characters in the Bible. …
Continue reading “Challenging Status Quo, from the Bride Rebekah to the Bride the Church”
The Dangerous and Beautiful God
Jay is a friend of mine. He gave a message recently verbalizing a vision of the might and majesty of the God of the Bible and to help us understand better his awesomeness, his mightiness, his beauty, and his fierceness. It’s really worth hearing, listen to it here. If nothing else, listen to the first …
How to Make a Big Difference in This World
I’m going to start with a random question: What makes a story newsworthy? What type of events do the press pick up on? Here’s my answer: 1) Stories that affect one or a few people a lot – Headline Examples: "Hiker falls in volcano" "Miners trapped after explosion" 2) Stories that affect many …
Continue reading “How to Make a Big Difference in This World”
Being a Follower of Jesus Means Praying
Picking up from yesterday’s post about what Christian’s can and can’t do, I want to suggest that perhaps the foremost activity which should characterize a Believer’s life is PRAYER: "As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray." -Martin Luther For …
Living and Dying
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Jim Elliot (1927-1956) What are we living for? Is it also worth dying for? Because if we’re not living for something worth dying for, we’re not living, and we’re not ready for dying either. "Whoever tries to keep …
Letting Go. Letting God.
Control. What would happen if I let go? Removed every crutch? What would we call someone who didn’t carry insurance, invest in a 401k, or hold money in a savings account? Who gave away every dime he made over that necessary for food, clothing, and supporting his family? Someone who relied on God for everything? …
God’s Waiting to Prove His Love
One of the cool things about playing an instrument is the unique outlet it provides for worship. Sometimes I am able to express best the way I feel towards God while playing the piano. But never fear those who don’t play an instrument because…! singing is another way we can express ourselves: And everyone can …
Think Globally, Act Locally
The Red Cross has a slogan, “Think Globally, Act Locally.” In other words, keep the big picture in mind while not letting that stop you from doing the work which needs done here in the present. It’s been nearly two years since I helped with Red Cross, but I remember being surprised at the beginning …
Indictments, Confessions, and Following Jesus
I notice precious few go against the grain. At least not in a significant way. And this would include me. But aren’t we Christians above all people called to go against the grain? For example, Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will …
Continue reading “Indictments, Confessions, and Following Jesus”
Going Against the Grain
Going against the grain is difficult. Especially to do so in a significant way. But aren’t we Christians above all people called to go against the grain? For example, Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) This advice …
Following Jesus is Lifestyle, not Academic
“The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived.” -Thomas Merton, Thoughts In Solitude “Superficiality is the curse of our age… The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep …
Continue reading “Following Jesus is Lifestyle, not Academic”
The Impact of Our Thought Lives
Perhaps you’ve heard the pithy ditty: “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap your life. Sow your life, reap your destiny.” These days I’m becoming increasingly convinced of the truth behind that saying. Of course, Jesus made the same observation 2,000 years ago: “For out of …
Not Being a Hypocrite
Lesson 7 from Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Here is the question this weeks’ study starts off with: “Which of my words or actions might a person find hypocritical?” For me, reflecting on that question is convicting. Jesus says we are not to: do our acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them announce our …
Fellowship of the Unashamed
I just ran across this “pep talk”. It is really inspirational. It is attributed to Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Overlake Christian Church in Seattle. Ironically and unfortunately, Moorehead stepped down in 1998 due to the surfacing allegations of improper sexual conduct. Who knows if the allegations were true or not. Regardless, this should get …