Posts from August 2019

One pawn standing against set of black chess

Ouch

Most of us in church work worry when attendance numbers go down; Jesus seemed to worry when they went up. He had what we might call “Thin ‘em out” sermons—messages he preached, it seems, to push people away. That wasn’t his intent, of course, but his message certainly didn’t fit well within any church growth book I’ve read. We often try to make the gospel more palatable; Jesus gave it to the crowds straight and unmixed. Sometimes, when he finished…
Woman praying

Have you talked to God about it?

I wonder how much we miss out on just because we don’t ask God? Or because we don’t really ask him. I’ve had times in my life where I was thinking about something for several days, and I suddenly realize that I haven’t talked to the Lord about it. Oh, I’ve worried about it. Lost sleep over it. Fretted and wrung my hands and contemplated all sorts of bad scenarios. But haven’t taken it to the Lord. I think that’s what…
Colorful yellow card with printed question mark

Why?

Why does bad stuff happen to Christians? Why do we get cancer and heart disease? Why do we lose our jobs and face money problems? Why are we persecuted because of our faith? There aren’t always good answers to these questions, and we certainly don’t want to trivialize anyone’s pain by responding with a cliché. But part of the answer is found here: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that…
New Growth

God likes new

There’s just something neat about new. The smell of a new car, the look and feel of a new gadget, the cuteness of a new puppy. For lots of folks in our area, a new school year started this past week. There’s optimism in the air, isn’t there? Yep, I messed up last year, but this year’s gonna be different. It’s a beautiful new slate, clean start, a fresh beginning. A brand new me for this new academic year. God…
Poppy flowers retro peaceful summer background

Grace

Many people tell me that time passes more quickly as you get older. I don’t know if it’s true for everyone, but from where I sit I think they’re right. Can you believe that it’s the year 2019? Do you remember when everyone was stressing over Y2K? That’s been nearly two decades. What’s happened in your life in the last few years? Did you send a child to kindergarten for the first time? Send one to college? Get a new…