The Bible exhorts us constantly to be awake and alert - to keep our lamps lit, to keep our eyes open. These admonitions are usually given in the context of Christ's return, to remind us that we never know when He will come. This is true, and yet I think those instructions are also useful to apply to the current moment, as well. [Click title to read more.]
Category: Christian life
My Students Don’t Read
I can't give up on them. And I can't because there are so many things I don't do, even when I know I should and have clear instructions and plenty of time and every reason in the world to be motivated. [Click title to read more.]
The Runner’s Hour
I still don't love running. But running has given me a chance to marvel at the simple momentary kindnesses of people, the daily glimpses of God's grace. [Click title to read more.]
The Pharisee Problem
If we must err, let us err on the side of grace. [Click on title to read more.]
To Those With Mothers And Those Without
There are many, many different ways to be a family. And on this Mother's Day I'd love to remind you that the day is for celebrating mothers of all stripes, biological or otherwise. If there's someone who looks after you, use today to celebrate them. [Click title to read more.]
Faith Is A Christian With No Answers
Faith is not the blind belief that everything will be fine. Faith is not a self-hypnosis that magically transforms the bad things in our life into good ones, or automatically makes us content to struggle forward without answers. No. Faith is an effort of will. It is the resolution of heart and mind. [To read more, click title.]
God’s Economy
God's economy seems antithetical to the modern age we live in. I and most people I know would run back to get the sheaf of forgotten wheat, would linger to make sure we hadn't left anything behind. And if we found any scraps on the ground we'd ask Pinterest how to use them to make centerpieces. To us, this sort of act seems sensible, and yet it runs directly opposite the commands of God. Leave the leftovers, He commands. They're not for you to use. [Read more...]
Why The Church Should Be A Bad Business
The danger in this is that - if we're not careful - the loving and serving that the church is supposed to be doing can get submerged beneath a corporate outlook. The Message becomes a logo. Outreach becomes a business wherein believers supply love in exchange for attendance, salvations, and baptisms, and are tempted to move on when they see no signs of a harvest.
The Fine Art Of Humility
Humility is not a contrived performance or a degrading of the self, but rather the attitude natural to those who act with empathy, compassion, and selflessness.
Breath Before Speech
This verse reminds me that the temptation is always there - that there will always be a chance I might use God's words to lend myself credibility, rather than use my life and my words to lend God credibility.