Blog
Our faith is rarely tested unless a display of the resurrection power of Jesus has been demonstrated. The power of resurrection is the primary evidence of God’s love. The traction created by that demonstration will threaten the powers of evil currently being employed...
53 years ago, I met a young woman who would become my wife. It wasn’t because of my smarts or my wisdom that Jan was given to me. God knew the kind of woman I needed, the kind that followed the leading of God’s Spirit, not the latest demands of culture or any personal...
The life of faith is supposed to be disrupted from time to time to keep us on the right path. Our journey of faith can appear like a blowing wind that will move in unexpected directions. The Pharisees had it out for Jesus. They were looking for a reason to kill the...
When we pile on a perceived error the truth gets buried. This piling on can resemble a football game where the ball is in the hands of one of the players at the bottom of the heap. The officials referring the game must remove each person from the pile to find the...
Have you ever started to sing the opening lines of an old song but forget the rest of the lyrics? You sounded great singing the first few words then mumbled the remainder of the chorus hoping you might recall the lyrics. I just did that with an old 60’s song. As I was...
I have sensed the presence of darkness trying to push believers to a place of disillusionment and despair. The rapid changes taking place in faith and culture have caused some to feel worn down to a place of spiritual thinness. Trusted voices have abandoned positions...
There are times when I am asked to help churches make transitions in pastoral leadership. When meeting with the primary leadership team of a church in transition, I will three questions. 1. What kind of church do you have? I ask people to describe the relational...
The answer to life’s most complicated issues is normally found in a place of simplicity. This simplicity is available even if you live in the midst of a cluttered calendar or find yourself in a time of life where the demands placed on you by other people feels like...
Earlier this week, Jan and I had dinner with friends at a nice restaurant. Shortly after being seated, a young family sat at the table next to us with three young kids. Our child-rearing years took place decades ago. We smiled as the parents tried to herd cats and eat...
If you want to impact an emerging generation or a group of people you will need to remove complaint and criticism from your conversation. No one lends an ear to a negative spirit. Phrases like, “The youth of today…” or “Those people…” are introductory phrases that...
If you want to know what death sounds like speak a word of hope. Death will always protest hope and demand that all voices be silent except its own. A word of hope has greater authority than the language of condemnation. Just a whisper of hope will shout down the...
As I began to prepare to speak at a conference on the subject of reformation, the Lord took me to Acts 17. In that section of Scripture, Paul was traveling through the city of Athens, Greece. Athens was known as the city of 10,000 gods. Just to be safe and cover all...
It is always a dangerous game to judge a person based on rumor and second-hand information. I have stopped coming to any conclusion about someone unless I have firsthand information about them from personal interaction with them. The higher in public visibility you...
I saw an image of a person hiking. They were wearing boots, shorts, a hat and carried a backpack. They were hiking a well-worn trail. The scenery was familiar. It was obvious other hikers had been walking over the same trail for decades never stepping out of its...
There are times in our lives when someone we love is taken away. An unexpected turn of events, death or changing relationships can move a person beyond our most desperate reach. In these times our only hope is in the tomorrow promised by God to those who suffer loss....