acquiring national identities: Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and England. Because the church was the largest landowner in Europe, rulers could seldom avoid a papal dispute over revenue. Luther escaped the hangman’s noose in part because he won the backing of a German prince fed up with Rome. But most important, Luther succeeded because he tapped... Continue Reading

Not surprisingly, this disorder in my heart led to disorder in my ministry. I found it difficult to connect with people in the church. They felt like potential spies, waiting to execute their orders. “Et tu Brute?” I thought I was surrounded by a bunch of Brutuses instead of Barnabases. While I used to be... Continue Reading

“People poured in,” she told me, sobbing, “They asked me, how can I help? Most of them I didn’t know because our church is so large. They rolled up their sleeves, tromped in the mud, shoveled, carried, and began helping me sort out what to throw away and what to keep.”   (WNS)–Kay Stafford was... Continue Reading

When I sense these reappearing in my life, I know it is time to evaluate quickly. I may need to get away for a day, adjust my sleeping, or double-check my eating and exercise routine. I have learned that if I can catch these early, I can address them much more quickly and easily than... Continue Reading

“Martin Luther, a scholar, took quill in hand, dipped it in his inkwell and penned his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. These were intended to spark a debate, to stir some soul-searching among his fellow brothers in the church.”   A single event on a single day changed the world. It was October 31,... Continue Reading

Like Priscilla (Rom. 16:3-4), Queen Katherine was a true servant and a scholar who was willing to take great risks for the furtherance of the Gospel. As a result, God used Katherine’s determination “to be useful in all I do” to profoundly impact on the advancement of the English Reformation. “The fact that the Reformation... Continue Reading

His teammates are another of Zobrist’s priorities, and his positive attitude and approachable spirit in the locker room make him a unifying force with the team. He often prays for his teammates and engages them in conversations about the Gospel, and Yawn said he’s able to do this because of the respect he has earned... Continue Reading

Pediatricians tell us that children thrive and feel safe when they have routines and structure to their day. Routines are good for us as adults as well. They keep us on track and organized. They give shape to our day and keep us from getting distracted. Indeed, routines are good. But routines can sometimes turn... Continue Reading

Using the right word can matter. Using the wrong word can matter even more. I once lost a potential writing gig because I used “who” instead of “whom” in a proposal letter. (And I still have trouble getting “who” and “whom” right.) Even just one incorrectly used word – especially when you’re trying to make... Continue Reading

Don’t be ashamed of meds: Just because some misuse and over use them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them. Try to view them as a gift of God and ask for God’s blessing upon them. Also pray for researchers as they seek to develop more drugs that will be more sophisticated and successful in the future.... Continue Reading