Is our belief in the resurrection of Jesus just a religious myth? If you’re reading this then you’re probably already predisposed to believe in the resurrection of Jesus as an unquestioned truth, but looking from the eyes of a skeptic one can easily see the audacity of our claim. A homeless Jewish carpenter rose from the dead? That ancient figure really was God? Our eternal destiny depends on our belief that Jesus rose from the dead 2000 years ago? From... Read more
Do you choose to hope in the midst of despair? Hope is a choice, never forget that. Life may have you on the ropes, and even those closest to you may advise you to throw in the towel, but hope remains forever (1 Corinthians 13:13). In the midst of Jeremiah’s overwhelming despair at the destruction of not just his city of Jerusalem but of the lives tragically consumed by the horrors of war, Jeremiah still chooses to hope. 19 I... Read more
Have you had a good cry lately? Crying is incredibly under appreciated today. Seen in society as a sign of weakness and fragility, we tell our kids that “boys don’t cry” and “big girls don’t cry.” While I’m not advocating a life of misery, a good cry every once in awhile can be incredibly therapeutic and even healing. 11 My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because... Read more
What ‘rights’ are you willing to give up to win others to Jesus? We fight for our rights. We enshrine them in our Constitution. We protest when our rights are infringed upon. We deserve our rights. We demand our rights. We protect our rights. The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, saw things very differently: 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 1 Corinthians 9:19 To... Read more
Are you caring for those entrusted to you or leading them astray? We all have someone following us. It may be simple to point them out, like children in our home. It may be the direct report you supervise at the office, the friend who always seems to do whatever you ask her to do, or the neighbor down the street or the friend at school that comes to you for advice. Somewhere, somehow, God has entrusted you with leadership... Read more
Are you spending more time judging those inside or outside the church? This brew is probably going to hurt, for the simple fact that our priorities are mixed up. We’re great at judging those outside the church (think “liberals,” “the gay agenda,” “activist judges,” etc.). We’ve perfected the art of condemning non-Christians for acting like non-Christians. It’s simpler, it’s clinical, it’s much less awkward than looking to our own house. But when the Apostle Paul dealt with a case of... Read more
Have you ever been disciplined by God’s tough love? It’s never fun. It’s you suffering the full consequences of your own selfish choices. It usually goes something like this: you make a series of bad mistakes, you pray to God that you don’t have to suffer the consequences of your own bad decisions. God, in his discipline, allows you to suffer the result of your choices. Many times we can become angry at the cruelty of God. Isn’t he the... Read more
Race relations in my city are at a low ebb. Two weeks ago a black man was shot and killed by a white police officer. Investigations are pending. Resignations and firings have happened. Protests and marches have taken place. More than just the tragedy of the shooting itself, this has drudged up old fault lines that reveal just how far we have to go on race relations, even in the “Christian” South. I believe the answer to this centuries old issue... Read more
Are you healing divisions within your church or creating them? Let’s be honest with each other. It’s just you and me. No one else is reading this with you. Are you healing divisions within your church or are you helping to create them? Do you bring people together or drive them apart? Do you spread rumors? Do you gossip? Is there a pastor or church member that you secretly wish would leave your church? Is there a program or event... Read more
Have you praised those special to you lately? We take them for granted don’t we? Our parents will always take care of us, our wives will always be there for us, our husbands will always provide for us. At the end of the book of Romans, which is an intensely theological letter, Paul finishes by sending personal greetings and praising those he knows in the church at Rome. It doesn’t make sense from one perspective. This gets as much biblical... Read more
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