My previous articles about one-word prayer suggest Christian mantras to open your soul to God. Here are a few more in the languages of Jesus: Open Your Soul with One-Word Prayer One-word prayers can open your soul to God like no other kind of prayer. In the first article of this series, “How to Pray a One-Word Prayer,” I wrote, “I’m convinced that we tend to talk too much when we pray. Prayer is better when we let our words... Read more
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch demonstrates how the Church should welcome and affirm transgender, intersex, and asexual folks. Everybody loves the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. I mean, it’s got so much to offer! When I was younger, the big takeaway was how the Holy Spirit teleported Philip from Samaria to Azotus (verses 39-40)! As a Baptist, I used this story as a proof text for believer’s baptism. Later, I noticed how... Read more
When did Jesus mention transgender, intersex, and asexual folks? Let’s see what he had to say about eunuchs, the closest analog to today’s trans, intersex, and Ace community. When Did Jesus Mention Transgender, Intersex, and Asexual Folks? What did Jesus think about transgender, intersex, and asexual people? The closest analog in Jesus’ tie were eunuchs. In his article, “God Made them Male and Female…and Eunuch: Why the Biblical Case for Binary Gender Isn’t So…Biblical,” Tony Keddie discusses Jesus’ take... Read more
Prayer is best when we let our words be few—or even a single word. Here are four one-word prayers to help you worship God. One-Word Prayers In the first article of this series, I wrote: One carefully chosen word can be all it takes to make a whole prayer. For example, think of a time when you were in danger, and you only had a split second to pray. You might have uttered a prayer like, “God!” or “Jesus!” Prayers... Read more
Why do some avoid tattoos due to religious prohibitions, while others treat their bodies as temples by decorating them with religious symbols? Is It a Sin to Get Tattooed or Pierced? Almost twenty years ago I was the pastor of the most tattooed and pierced church that I had seen at the time. Many of my church members asked me, “Is it a sin to get tattooed or pierced? Can Christians get tattoos?” Instead of going into a lengthy... Read more
Most of us have prayed the one-word prayer, “God!” in moments of surprise and crisis. One-word prayers can be more powerful than you think. The Power of a Word John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There’s definitely something majestic about God’s Word. God’s living Word is Jesus. Christians often call the Bible the written word that conveys the living Word. Both have glorious power in the... Read more
Loyalty is a virtue in many relationships. Let’s look at different types of loyalties and then ask, “Should you be loyal to your church?” Four Types of Loyalties On some level, society teaches each of us to be loyal. Here are four types of loyalties that learn from a young age: 1. Patriotic Loyalty I learned patriotism from my dad, who wore red, white, and blue checkered pants on the Fourth of July (those were the 1970s). He took us... Read more
Usually, feeling empty is bad—like a hungry stomach or a heart vacant of love. But when is feeling empty a good thing? The Potter’s Purpose Sometimes, it’s good to be empty. Jeremiah’s passage about the potter illustrates this concept well. Jeremiah 18:1-6 says: The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and... Read more
Jesus’ moral and ethical teachings are great—as far as they go. But how do you decide on important matters, when Jesus’ teachings are silent? For Christians, Jesus is the ultimate example of how to live a good life. By following Jesus’ lead, we learn and practice loving God and loving others. In fact, those two things, Jesus says, are the most important commandments. Beyond that, matters of religion can become confusing. The Hebrew Scriptures contained not just ten but... Read more
Many Christians say that the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to point to Jesus. But what if Jesus’ mission was to introduce us to the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit Shy? Growing up, I was always taught that the Holy Spirit is shy, and never points to himself. Holy Spirit, they said, points to Gentleman Jesus, who stands at the door and knocks, waiting to be invited in. The work of the Spirit, we were told, was to lead someone... Read more
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