John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” [MSG] Why are you a Christian? One of the assignments I give my Continue Reading…
Luke 19:5 Jesus…said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Sunday School songs about the wee little man who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus don’t do Zacchaeus justice. Luke 19 presents a less sanitized version than the melody crooned by preschoolers. Zacchaeus checked Continue Reading…
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It’s 2020. What could possibly exist to make us anxious? COVID and shutdowns? Riots and financial uncertainty? Election results? Abbreviated experiences of simple pleasures like sports events, Continue Reading…
1 Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” One thing I think most Americans can agree upon: this Continue Reading…
Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Sometimes I get overwhelmed with God’s good gifts. About 17 years ago, a friend asked if our Continue Reading…
2 Timothy 3:2 “People will be lovers of themselves….” I found myself irresistibly drawn to rereading The Lord of the Rings this past summer. As I did, references to JRR Tolkien’s trilogy started popping up everywhere. Quotes on social media, mentions in a book I was reading, in a magazine Continue Reading…
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I need God. And the more I sense my spiritual poverty, the richer I become. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, my lack always leads me to his abundance. As some of Continue Reading…
Luke 15:24 “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Prodigals. They can be found in every spectrum of Christianity. They flee from religious establishment congregations as well as free-in-the-spirit flocks. Kids raised on the Donut Man, Veggie Tales and Jesus Continue Reading…
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Is anything worth losing Jesus? I’ve been reading The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith by A.J. Swoboda. In one of the chapters, “Losing Jesus,” Swoboda writes how even Continue Reading…
Joshua 3:13 “And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” Most miracles don’t just happen. God seems to like our involvement in Continue Reading…