If our perspective of work life is blurry, then the Church has not helped clear up our vision. The Church has done a wonderful job teaching us all about spiritual gifts and fellowship and holiness – all precious tenets of the Christian faith – but rarely have we been taught about our ministry in the marketplace. Instead we hear stories about those special few who were called into full-time ministry, blessedly drawn away from the worldly marketplace. Many churches lay... Read more
Two thousand years ago, there was unrest in the land. The Jewish Zealots were looking for a savior to overthrow the Romans. They sought to cast out the invaders, to reclaim their borders, to establish self rule again. This proud peoples had lost its very identity to the Roman society. Out of the boat stepped a carpenter from Nazareth. His simple teachings were swords to the elite and a balm to the masses. He was the instigator of massive social... Read more
Heaven is not a playground for kids – we don’t come as children for the fun, not even the innocence, but the incompetence. We don’t know how to survive on our own Read more
When we are criticized, our natural first response is defensive. We may minimize the problem or make excuses. We can deflect, detour and dismiss. And the worst thing we can do is blame. Red Letter Believers – those who live by the words of Jesus in their every day life — take responsibility. It’s easy to find someone to pin the blame, but try starting with the man or woman in the mirror. Unfair criticism can smart. It can cut.... Read more
Like many of you, I have spent some portions of my life feeling…left out. I don’t care how successful you are, there are times when you think life is passing you by and no one cares. Now, don’t mistake the following as a “pity piece.” It isn’t. But it is a slice of reality – and of hope — to those who might just need to find a sliver of hope in my story. I wasn’t an athlete, and for any boy getting... Read more
The current trend to white-out God from society has reached a new level of absurdity. It has to do with “A.D.” Every New Year, we christen the date with “Anno Domini” in Latin or “the year of the Lord” in English. Secularists want to replace A.D. with CE, which stands for stands for “Common Era.” CE and AD have the same and value. 2010 CE = 2010 A.D. The word “common” simply means that it is based on the most... Read more
We all have a perfect plan for our lives that we’ve developed over time. Our fantasy is an idyllic world that we have constructed in our minds. Filled with images of beautiful families in beautiful homes in beautiful locations, we have arranged just the ideal life. For me, it was to go to college, write books, have a happy family and live in a remote mountain retreat. Something went awry with that plan. I dropped out of college, wrote books... Read more
Have you ever looked around and wondered, “How did I get here?” I’ve been there. Somehow, the tides of life swept me off course and my destination seemed so distant. Perhaps it was because of my inattention to the controls, a lack of focus, or my own disobedience. But in any case, I didn’t want to be “here,” I wanted to be “there.” It’s a sad experience to look back at that time of wonder and desire, when I had a... Read more
The church has gone to great contortions in the last 30 years to adapt, to change, and to become more relevant to the world. Hymns? Gone Steeples? Gone. Denominational names? Gone. Tradition? Gone. We allowed for these and a thousand other changes so as not to alienate the world. We so desperately wanted to embrace and relate to the culture. Paul stood on Mars Hill and preached to the heathen masses, even using their statue “to an unknown God” as... Read more
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Before I go much further, “Mom, I love you.” And I have great respect the mother of my children and all the other women out there who gave birth to us, nurtured us and breathed God’s gifts into our souls. But, something has always bothered me this time of year. Churches seem to have adopted Mother’s Day as another High Holy Day. Every pastor it seems is obligated to preach a message to men and children... Read more
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