John Bunyan was a radical. Perhaps you might even call him a religious radical. And maybe some might call him a fanatic. Bunyan had no thought of hashtags or Twitter. He lived in the 17th century, a time when most book titles weren’t short enough to fit in a Tweet. His best-selling book, The Pilgrim’s Progress … Read more
When we were kids, my parents would take us to church. And when it came time for the deacons to pass the offering plate down our pew, my mom would open her purse and put a quarter in our hands. It was for us to drop it in the plate. It was a simple lesson, … Read more
“I went to the church for a year, but the pastor’s sermons just didn’t speak to me.” “I liked the music… but no one ever came up and introduced themselves to me.” “I attended the women’s Bible study… but no one seemed to care about what I had to say.” Merely going to a church … Read more
When Jesus returns, and the earth and the sky are transformed, there will be no clocks. Time will disappear. Hard to imagine. And, maybe frightening for some. But, as godlike as time might seem, one day time will give way to eternity. So… Imagine there’s no alarm clocks.It’s easy if you tryNo boss to give you hellNo one to … Read more
“Is God a man or a woman?” my nephew asked. He was only three. He was looking for categories. We need categories. God made us that way. We don’t just need order. We crave order. However. God is not a man God is not a woman. But, He became a man. That was born of … Read more
“If God exists, then why does He allow the innocent to suffer?” is a question that has been asked by many a skeptic. It’s a good question. And, it should not be posed by just skeptics or atheists trying to bolster their position. It should be a question that all Christians ask, and consider. Whether … Read more
Forgiveness is always better than bitterness… A man is cheated on seven times by his wife. A friend lies to another friend about a private matter. An awkward child is refused friendship by schoolmates year after painful year. What is one to do? What do we tell our friend that has been mistreated and used? Do we … Read more
Today a large portion of the Christian world is celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Christians use a different church calendar than Roman Catholics and Protestants. They also speak about the resurrection a bit differently too. Orthodox Christians have many traditions and ceremonies surrounding the celebration of the resurrection of Christ that are different from … Read more
Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so. A lyric of a children’s song. A lyric that Karl Barth said summarized his whole life’s work in theology. Jesus loves me… How do we know? Reason? Answered prayers? Unanswered prayers? Church traditions? Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so.
Macklin lay face up in the water. His 18-month-old body was gray. He wasn’t moving. He had only been out of his parents’ sight for a few minutes that Sunday morning. The pool gate was never left open. All of the four kids had spent hours in the backyard by themselves, and nothing had ever … Read more