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Beware Lest You Teach Another Gospel
Of course, there is only one true Gospel message but to misconstrue it in any form is to turn it into something that it is not.
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A Word for 2023
As I’ve done since 2014, I began 2023 by asking God to give me a word and a verse for the year. It was a new concept to me then. This is the definition I found: “One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.” What in me needs work? Where do I need to focus spiritually? What is God working on in my heart and life? As a Christian I open my heart to listen well to God’s voice. Perhaps you would benefit as I do from asking God to show…
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What’s Missing in Discipleship?
Over the past few years I’ve become increasingly alarmed at the actions of Christians as they engage with various cultural and political issues. Social media has revealed that too many of us lack concern for truth, treat others unbiblically or believe arrogantly that we have a monopoly on biblical truth. Fear seems to be motivating too many of us to act in ways unbecoming to Christians, especially to our brothers and sisters who disagree on non-essential beliefs or political answers to the country’s problems. Hopefully you don’t spend much time on Twitter, which seems to reveal the worst of us. I’ve certainly been guilty of labelling people without understanding, arrogantly…
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The Next Generation
No wonder it has been said, “Children are the largest most forsaken mission field on earth” Think about the implications of reaching people when they are most reachable! An adult who believes is a soul saved but a child who believes has their whole life ahead of them. If they are discipled and become disciple makers, theirs is truly a life saved!
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Leadership and Friendship—Are They Mutually Exclusive?
With whom can you be yourself—totally raw and without filters—without expectations? Someone recently asked me this question. Several names came to mind, but I realized my list was short. This person advised, “You need these types of people in your life, people who will listen to you without expectations or judgment, with whom you can climb down off the mentorship and ministry pedestal.” Regardless of the world in which you work or serve—corporate, construction, education, marketing, medical, ministry, research, restaurant, the arts, or the home—being a leader can make finding raw-and-without-filters friendships difficult. Why is that? First, leaders are visionaries. They lead the charge. They think outside the box.…
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Sleeping in the Storm
I toss and turn as the minutes turn to hours. Sleep seems far away. Have you been there? I’ve struggled with sleep as far back as I can remember. Even with pillows and blankets on a fairly comfortable bed, rest feels so elusive some nights. I find it striking that Jesus could sleep on boat tossed by a violent storm. It’s almost as if you can see storm clouds on the distant horizon as Jesus steps into a boat in Matthew 8. Two men approach him, applying for discipleship, and ask to follow him. Jesus tells them they must leave personal comfort and family obligation behind. Following him requires…
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Let’s chat about the price of following Christ…
Maybe I was sick the day we counted in Sunday School. Yeah, that’s it. Maybe I inadvertently skipped Small Group the night we talked about tallying. Humph. Truth is, when 8-year-old-me professed faith, and even when adult me more decisively “rededicated my life to Christ,” no one said, “For real. Count the costs.” A heads-up would’ve been nice. Something like… “Hey, splashing around in the shallows will end; it has to. At some point, you’ll get plunged deeper…beyond places your toes can touch…and you’ll spend the rest of life there as both God and the Adversary try to drown you—in very different ways and for very different reasons. So, consider…
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Training the next generation to seek Jesus; the call to intentional parenting
I am an experienced camper. Growing up, my family camped across the United States from the Mexican Border to New York City. We tent camped during tornadoes, temperatures above 100 degrees, and flooding rain. I remember hunkering down in a bathroom during a tornado warning only to share the bathroom with the biggest scorpion my little eyes had ever seen. As a child, I couldn’t decide if I would rather suffer through the storm in the tent or cower in the corner with the scorpion. Included in my memories of these cherished family adventures were Sundays on vacation. My Dad always traveled with a suit. His mother was elderly, and…
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Are We Losing Our Souls?
I’m been very disturbed the last few years by the types of posts I’ve seen on social media coming from Christians. Full of lies and hatred, they divide Christians from one another and paint those who disagree as monsters. Jesus famously said, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it. For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:34-36). In context Peter has just…
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Choosing Bible Study Curriculum
Popular teacher . . . Best selling . . . Easy homework . . . Recommended. I’ve chosen Bible study curriculum for all these reasons, but none of them is foolproof, and they often won’t meet the needs of your group or fulfill your purpose for Bible study. The popular teacher won’t necessarily reflect good theology or teach women how to think biblically for themselves. Her greatest asset may be her humor or her stories, which are great, but they may not help the women learn the Bible, which is essential to personal discipleship. Best-selling doesn’t always involve depth or even truth. Easy homework by definition fails to wrestle much…
