“God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of one another are quite different (since God is God, and we are merely private individuals, and sinners besides), yet both are conditional upon repentance. If a brother who has sinned against us refuses to repent, we should not forgive him. Does this startle you?”   What does... Continue Reading

“We simply want to better understand people who have experienced trauma so that we can be good friends and can provide wise pastoral care. We want to know how to speak wisely and avoid clumsy missteps.”   I don’t remember encountering the word “trauma” very often in my younger years, yet recently I seem to... Continue Reading

Can guilt be erased? Through Peter’s bold sermon in Jerusalem, discover the message of hope that still resonates today – one that promises complete forgiveness and spiritual renewal for even our deepest regrets.   In the final moments of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 on November 23, 1996, an extraordinary display of courage and faith unfolded... Continue Reading

“Since God is, before all things, a Father, and not primarily Creator or Ruler, all His ways are beautifully fatherly. It is not that this God “does” being Father as a day job, only to kick back in the evenings as plain old “God.”   Just as a piece of literature should tell us something... Continue Reading

People are made in the image of God and have a soul that will live somewhere forever. Pets are not made in the image of God and when they die, well, no one wants to say for sure because of all the pet lovers out there but let’s just say they’re not the same as... Continue Reading

You have probably heard that many times. Love of God and others. Mission to the world. The fact is, however, that while those in themselves are simple, we have done a good job in many church cultures of busying up people, adding a whole lot of seemingly necessary bells and whistles onto your racing cars... Continue Reading

Why do we ignore counsel, yell at our kids, waste our time, live small lives, maintain distant relationships, and harbor bitter feelings and guilty pleasures? Have you ever led someone to Christ? Have you ever invited a co-worker to church with you? Have you learned how to lead a Bible study with your family or... Continue Reading

When we surrender our plans to God’s purposes, we center our days around his glory, not our own. Do our days revolve around God and his purposes? Or are we so busy that we forget and, intentionally or not, allow our schedules to blind us to the work of eternity?   “I can’t. I’m busy!” These piercing... Continue Reading

If there is anything the book of Nehemiah teaches us when it comes to living in a society which tolerates the Christian faith, it teaches us that opportunities are often rife. Yet much wisdom is needed to take hold of those opportunities. When a little wisdom is added to the mix, with the blessing of... Continue Reading

It is important that we remind ourselves that distractions are one of Satan’s powerful weapons to achieve his purposes of diverting us from the path of righteousness and truth.  The last thing our Spiritual Enemy wants us to do is remain steadfastly focused on God’s Word.     Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze... Continue Reading