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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

Life is meant to be enjoyed. God declared it good. Yet we know that the wholesome earthiness of life is best savored by a robust faith in God through Jesus Christ. Healthy followers of Christ are learning to do both well: enjoy life, and to enjoy God…they are not in opposition, but inseparably connected.

“Enjoy Life, Enjoy God” is a concise word of encouragement drawing upon biblical insights. Encouragement, at its root meaning, involves not only a pep talk, or pat on the back, but sometimes a candid voice of exhortation. But it’s all cloaked in the grace of God. ELEG is a daily word to be read in less than a minute, but may uplift you for the day.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)

HONOR - January 30, 2014
 To honor someone is a wonderful and a dangerous thing, prone to all sorts of mischief.

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OF THE LIVING - January 29, 2014
 Yes, the Christian faith embraces heaven...
CAESAR - January 28, 2014
 We may think the church & state debate is relatively new.  And we would be wrong...
TENANTS? - January 27, 2014
Let me see if I have this straight, the tenant agrees to live on the property per the previously agreed upon terms...
WHO SAYS SO? - January 24, 2014
 There was something about Jesus' teaching that stood out, it was unique.
WHAT IS IT? - January 23, 2014
  When you go to your church house, what is it?  What is it for?
MATRICULATE - January 14, 2014
 To matriculate is to become a student, to sign up and enter a school.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? - January 13, 2014
 No, really, an honest inquiry...
KEEP ON - January 10, 2014
 Tortoise and Hare...remember the story?
KINGDOM COME - January 9, 2014
 Herod was a literalist.  When he heard a new king may have come into his kingdom, he wanted to do something about that.
GRATITUDE ATTITUDE - January 8, 2014
 "What have you done for me lately?"
GUILTY AS CHARGED - January 7, 2014
All this stuff Jesus teaches about forgiveness--it's well and good, but let's be reasonable...
OBVIOUS - January 6, 2014
 To be out and about in this glorious land surely it bears witness to God.
LAZARUS-MARLEY - January 3, 2014
Remember how Jacob Marley came to warn Scrooge that he needed to change his ways?
ACCOUNTABLE - January 2, 2014
 Managers as a rule work for someone else; they are given a job to do acting in another's behalf.
LOST #3 - SON - January 1, 2014
 Many of us remember Jesus' famous Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Lost Son who squanders his inheritance and his life.  But ...
LOST #2 - COIN - December 31, 2013
When you lose something, what steps do you take to find it? 
LOST #1 - SHEEP - December 30, 2013
 The religious leaders of Jesus' day thought of themselves as "found."  What about you and me?
SALT - December 27, 2013
 If I said this stuff in church, I think it would get me in trouble.
PLACE OF HONOR - December 24, 2013
 Etiquette: We have books and oral traditions about society rules on place settings, places of honor.  Funny...
JERUSALEM - December 23, 2013
 Here are on the threshold of another Christmas celebration, yet do we get it?
INSIGNIFICANT - December 19, 2013
 What makes something or someone significant in our world?  What makes something or someone significant?
AT LEAST I'M NOT... - December 18, 2013
Have you ever heard it said, "Well at least I'm not as bad as him"? 
SILLY GOD - December 17, 2013
Sometimes we humans create, worship and serve, a silly god.  Legalism is one aspect of that silliness; take the Sabbath for example.
LIGHT - December 4, 2013
 Jesus is concerned about what comes into our lives, and how we let it into our lives.
LIPS - December 3, 2013
 One of the cautions the scriptures urge upon us regards our speech, the words we inflict upon others.
SIGN - December 2, 2013
 Religious people, people of faith often seem to be in search of a sign, some proof or evidence that it's for real.
KINGDOM DIVIDED - November 29, 2013
President Lincoln was simply quoting Jesus when he said that a kingdom divided cannot stand. 
KEEP KNOCKING - November 28, 2013
 Luke 11 is Jesus teaching on prayer.
TEACH US TO PRAY - November 27, 2013
 As Jesus-followers, we are to be a praying people, if for no other reason than to talk with him.
BORING DETAILS - November 26, 2013
Hey, I'm reading through the second half of the Book of Exodus.  Page after page of details, instructions, measurements, what does this have to do with following Jesus?
MARTHA & MARY - November 25, 2013
 Psychology has created all sorts of classifications of our personalities.  I'm offering still another...
GOOD SAMARITAN - November 22, 2013
 "Impossible, outrageous!  I've heard enough...
GOD IS GOD - November 21, 2013
 The Notre Dame football movie, "Rudy," features a wonderful scene where Rudy visits a priest...
HARVEST - November 20, 2013
Though most of us live in an urban setting, we get out enough to know a bit about harvest. 
ODD WORDS - November 19, 2013
 Jesus says some odd words, strange sayings, things that don't fit many of our pictures of Jesus.
ZION - September 12, 2013
 The place of God's dwelling, the symbol of God's promise to God's people...
REFUGE - September 11, 2013
 This summer on my motorcycle trip through Yellowstone...
AFTERWARD - September 10, 2013
 The Book of Joel spares no punches...
A CHANGE OF SEASON - September 9, 2013
 Waiting for a difference....
SHUB - September 6, 2013
 There's a Hebrew word, translated "shoobv," it means repent change to the opposite direction.
DAY OF THE LORD - September 5, 2013
 The word of the Lord cautions of a coming "Day of the Lord."  It is a major theme of Joel.
WORD OF THE LORD - September 4, 2013
 Imagine if God were to speak to you right now, how would you respond?
HOW LONG? - September 3, 2013
 Inquiring of God when God will intervene, when God will finally act, when God will hear our cries.
BENEDICTION - September 2, 2013
 A good saying...
TO PLEASE GOD - August 30, 2013
 In our lives, does it occur to us that we are to please God? 
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS - August 29, 2013
The Christian faith is for this real world...
YOU DON'T KNOW - August 28, 2013
 You never who shows up at your door, or in your life...
HILLS TO DIE ON - August 27, 2013
 My former associate taught me the phrase, "That's not a hill I want to die on." 
DISCIPLINE - August 26, 2013
I didn't say, "punishment," but discipline. 
FIX OUR EYES - August 23, 2013
 I learned in my motorcycle safety training that the bike goes where my eyes are looking.
BY FAITH - 22X - August 22, 2013
  In Hebrews 11 the phrase, "by faith" occurs twenty-two times!  What's the big deal?
FAITH - August 21, 2013
 What is faith, and how is it defined?  When we say, "I've got faith," what are we saying?
SHRINK BACK - August 20, 2013
 Seeds fall in various places, but only once in a while do they come to abundance.
SHADOWS - August 16, 2013
 When we cast a shadow on the pavement, we get some idea of what we are looking at, but not the thing itself.  
BLOOD - August 14, 2013
 In this day of political correctness and related "filtering,"...
OBSOLETE - August 13, 2013
 Bronze weaponry, slide rules, ice boxes, Commodore 64s, typewriters, party lines, rotary lawnmowers, flintlock muskets, 78s...
MELCHIZEDEK - August 12, 2013
Unless we've grown up with Roman Catholic roots, we struggle to understand priests and their function.
ANCHOR - August 10, 2013
 Growing up boating, I came to learn about anchors.
MATURITY - August 8, 2013
I knew a man when I was a chaplain in prison who had been baptized seventeen times. 
MILK - August 7, 2013
And you, where are you?  Are you taking steps to grow in the substance of faith? 
HARD KNOCKS - August 6, 2013
 Most of us learn during the hard times, not when we are on easy street.
CONFIDENCE - August 5, 2013
 What is the basis or foundation of our confidence in coming to God?
HOLD FIRMLY - August 3, 2013
We believe in the perseverance of the saints.  In other words, by the grace of God in Christ, we are secure in our faith unto eternity.  However...    
SWORD - August 2, 2013
 When you hear, "word of God," I don't know what comes into your mind, but I suppose few of us think first of a sword.
REST - August 1, 2013
 Rest is an element of the creation story, but it's also a metaphor of resting secure in the faith of Christ.
HOUSE - July 30, 2013
 The author of Hebrews gives us an image, a metaphor of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  
CHRISTO-SUPERIOR - July 24, 2013
 Christo-centric is a term describing a Christian's relationship with God, and how it is to affect our lives: Christ at the center of all.    
BUT - July 23, 2013
 It's is just three letters, but this word often changes everything.
PROVIDENCE - July 22, 2013
 It's a large word for a simple, but huge, blessing.  
CENTERED - July 19, 2013
What is your center?  Self?  Circumstances?  The world around you?   
PRACTICE - July 18, 2013
  We can't learn how to play tennis, golf, or shooting skeet by sitting in a classroom. 
ONE DAY AT A TIME - July 17, 2013
I don't think it was AA that invented the principle: "One day at time."  
EXAULT - July 15, 2013
It's not a word we hear much, "exalt." But it means to raise up, to elevate. 
MODEL-EXAMPLE - July 12, 2013
 Often when we hear "example," we think of being an example. However, there is another perspective. 
GOAL WORTHY - July 11, 2013
 "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures..."
LOSS-KNOW - July 10, 2013
 Paul thinks back on his life as a Christ-follower, and says he embraces both loss and "know."
EPAPHRODITUS - July 9, 2013
 EE-PAF-fro-DYTE-us: Sometimes people do the work that we are unable to do. That's Epaphroditus.
TIMOTHY - July 8, 2013
 Who is someone in your life that because of you is really changing the world? A son? A daughter? A friend? 
SHINE - July 5, 2013
 I just got home from the mountains of New Mexico. I woke up one night at three o'clock and looked up in the sky. Without the city lights I've never seen so many shiny stars, amazing.
OTHERS - July 4, 2013
 Honestly, I don't know how long the "self" movement has flourished: self-esteem, self-care, self-confidence...self...
2ND COMING - July 3, 2013
 What if you knew that Jesus is coming today? What would you do differently? 
COLLATERAL REPAIR - July 2, 2013
 "Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then." I've heard this "saying" when something good happens amidst the not so good.
CONFIDENCE - July 1, 2013
 Self-confidence is a great thing to possess, yet there is a more substantial confidence.
HOLY PEOPLE - June 28, 2013
 The great writer Flannery O'Connor wrote, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
SEEING PROVIDENCE - May 7, 2013
Providence might be defined as... 
BRIDLE AND BIT - May 6, 2013
 I always love to watch the thoroughbreds run at the Kentucky Derby...
NEHEMIAH - May 3, 2013
 The old Hebrew scrolls contained two "books" as we call them today...
WE - May 2, 2013
 It's important that we read God's Words to us from two perspectives...
SORROW UNTO REPENTANCE - May 1, 2013
 Sorrow is largely a feeling, but repentance is an action.
WORD - April 30, 2013
 Psalm 119 not only is the longest of all the psalms, it is the one most closely associated with the Word of God.
PARENT - April 29, 2013
 The Hosea story is like a parent leading, loving a wayfaring child.
PROSPER - April 26, 2013
 When we say someone is "prospering," what do we mean?
HIS EYE IS ON... - April 25, 2013
 Many of us know the old hymn, "His Eye is on The Sparrow," a loved song of God's providence and protection.
THEN - April 24, 2013
 "Then" is an easily-overlooked word, but one in the Bible that changes everything. 
DISCOURAGERS - April 23, 2013
 Beware of the discouragers in your world.
COVER UP - April 16, 2013
 From then until now, many forces are aligned to prevent the spread of the story: "Jesus is risen!"
ROMAN NIGHT - April 15, 2013
 Roman soldiers were the most feared warriors on the face of the earth...
HOSEA 2 - April 12, 2013
 I have an assignment for you: Read leisurely Hosea 2.
BUT WHEN - April 11, 2013
 Cliche: Life has its ups and downs...
ANOTHER JOSEPH - April 10, 2013
There's Joseph, the one with the many-colored coat who becomes Prime Minister of Egypt. And there's the Joseph who takes Mary for his wife and Jesus for his son. But... 
REVEAL - April 9, 2013
 Little children learn peak-a-boo, one moment it's not there, and the next...
WHO MAY? - April 5, 2013
 Sometimes God's Word seems to leave me out, unless I remember a few things.
HOW RIGHT - April 4, 2013
 We sometimes say, "How right you are;" it's simply an expression to confirm the truth of what's been said...
ACCUSATION - April 3, 2013
 When someone accuses us of something of which we are not guilty, that surely is a terrible thing.
WELL WATERED - April 2, 2013
 It's not hard to see vegetation that is thirsty; it's wilted, off-color, lifeless.
WANTING OUT - April 1, 2013
Ever want out? You find yourself in a situation, and all you want is for it to be over and out.
"GOOD" FRIDAY - March 29, 2013
 What good could come from the death of an innocent man?
TRUE WORSHIP - March 28, 2013
 True worship? Do we know it when we see it? 
SECURITY-SAFETY - March 27, 2013
 Sometimes it's like I've never read the New Testament. Did Jesus really say that?
TEN VIRGINS - March 26, 2013
 Jesus is famous for his parables. Some are well known, but what about the Ten Virgins?
DON'T KNOW…SO - March 25, 2013
If Jesus says even he doesn't know the hour of reckoning, the come-uppance of history, why does he talk a great deal about it, for example, Matthew 24?
INSIDE-OUTSIDE - March 22, 2013
It occurs to me my grandmother and mother were so wrong about how little boys are to wash their hands before they come to the table.
UNDER-BELIEVE - March 21, 2013
 We know the word, "hypodermic," as in needle...
COMMISSION-OMISSION - March 20, 2013
 The great prayerbook of the church speaks of both our sins of commission, and our sins of omission.
ERROR - March 19, 2013
 Sometimes we are in error because of ignorance, sometimes it's a matter of our will.
GOD'S - March 18, 2013
 Not "God's," a contraction, like, God-is, but that indicating possession, it belongs to God.
BIRTHDAY - March 15, 2013
There is about a one in 365 chance that today is your birthday.
THE INVITATION - March 14, 2013
 When we receive a formal invitation etiquette has taught us to respond appropriately.
"THE LORD IS THERE" - March 13, 2013
 We often name things, even our children, based largely on the sound of the name. 
BIBLE BELT BLESSINGS - March 12, 2013
We forget that many of us live in the Bible Belt, a land very friendly toward Christian practice. 
GOD'S QUESTION - March 11, 2013
 "When I get to heaven, I've got a few questions to ask of God." Every say something like that? 
MY HOUSE - March 7, 2013
Pronouns can be confusing. We speak of "my church," and pretty soon we risk thinking it really IS ours. 
CROWD'S REBUKE - March 6, 2013
 Majority may rule, but it doesn't mean it's correct.
BIBLE'S GREATEST HITS - March 5, 2013
Most of us have favorite passages in the Bible. But why do particular ones stand out for so many of us for so many years? 
EXECUTIVE PLATINUM - March 4, 2013
 I confess that I am a wicked, earthy indulged sinner. I like upgrades...
GOD ON TRIAL - March 1, 2013
 It's not a new thing for humans to judge God...
REWARD - February 28, 2013
Dying to oneself, take up your cross, is there any reward in being a Christ-follower? 
CONDESCEND - February 27, 2013
We've all heard, "statistics lie," or you can make numbers show whatever you want.  It occurs to me that we can do the same with the Bible. 
RECIPROCITY - February 26, 2013
Beware when your faith is so individualistic, and a matter just between you and Jesus, that you forget that the faith of Christ, following Christ, is entirely a social matter. 
SOLO-TOGETHER - February 25, 2013
There is something about our spirit that makes us "solo." We kind of prefer to do it ourselves... 
WHAT? - February 22, 2013
 The decisions people make, must not be all that important. Really?
DRY BONES - February 21, 2013
If you've ever been out in the desert, or watched a Western, you've seen a dried up old cow skull, or bones of a long-dead beast.  
KIDS STUFF - February 20, 2013
 Our children have a powerful, if not, central place in our lives.
TAME & DOMESTICATED - February 19, 2013
 Life has tamed and domesticated us, and the god we worship also is tame and domesticated.
TILL - February 18, 2013
 Not, "till" as in plow the soil, but "till," as in when such 'n' such happened, then I understood, "until."
OUTSIDERS - February 7, 2013
 Be careful when you start figuring out who is in and who is out.  
BASEBALL CAPS - February 6, 2013
 Many of us were taught: "No hats at the dinner table." 
FOCUS - February 5, 2013
 I was taught in motorcycle training when turning the bike through curves look at the goal, not where you might fall.
SCARCITY-ABUNDANCE - February 4, 2013
 It is a natural inclination for many of us, we look at what's missing, not what we have.
HOMECOMING - February 1, 2013
 Almost every fall, my wife and I go to homecoming at our university, and enjoy old times, friends and family.
THE NET - January 31, 2013
 When I was a boy on my grandparents' lake, we'd get a seine net in order to catch some minnows for bait...
TREASURE--VERB - January 30, 2013
 Treasure--Noun, like a pile of gold.  Treasure--Verb, something that one holds on to...
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE... - January 29, 2013
Want to learn about God and how God is?  Read the parables, and think about them.   
ROUNDUP - January 28, 2013
 "RoundUp" is weed-puller in a bottle. Squirt a little here and there, and it kills the weed. 
FRUITFUL HEART - January 25, 2013
 We are a nation into productivity.  We want to be prosperous.  Jesus urges us to be fruitful.
FAM' REDO - January 24, 2013
 Discipleship is about transformation, change per Jesus' leadership.
ABE LINCOLN JESUS - January 23, 2013
 I'm not sure if Abraham Lincoln was a Christ-follower, but I do know he was a student of the Bible, and...
SABBATH: IT'S THE LAW! - January 22, 2013
 We have a way of taking a good thing, and turning it into a bad thing.
YOKED - January 21, 2013
 A yoke is the tool...
DISOWN - January 15, 2013
 We hear stories of an angry parent for whatever reason, disowning their child...
THE FAM' - January 14, 2013
 Last year I learned about an organization founded by Tony Campolo, RedLetterChristians.org...
KIND & CLEVER - January 11, 2013
 Patient, Polite, Persistent.  Ever have a grievance with a company, maybe a problem with travel at the airport or hotel? 
TRAVEL LIGHT - January 10, 2013
 Twenty-six years ago the moving vans brought my modest home and family to DFW.
3 R'S - January 3, 2013
 Jesus starts his ministry with the basics, but not the 3R's of reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic.
FAMILY FIRST - December 28, 2012
 We in the church have focused on the family, family first.  Really?
CLEAN - December 24, 2012
It's Christmas Eve.  But this day is about more than birth, but God's on-going plan of salvation. 
RIGHTEOUSNESS - November 29, 2012
 Righteousness is not a commonly-used word...
BLESSED 2012 - November 28, 2012
 In some of Jesus' first teaching he tells us about the path to blessing...
SALT-LIGHT - November 27, 2012
 What would your world be without salt or light?
BLACK FRIDAY? - November 23, 2012
Really? This Enjoy Life, Enjoy God has nothing to do with Black Friday. It has everything to do with discipleship. 
CALLING - November 22, 2012
 Think of the ways we use the word, "calling."
SERMON TOPICS - November 21, 2012
 What kind of sermon topics do you like?  What is a sermon that pleases you?
IF-THEN - November 20, 2012
It's only two letters, but..
BAPTISM - November 19, 2012
 Baptism causes as much debate and contention across the church as any doctrine or belief. 
CHILDREN OF FREEDOM - November 9, 2012
Admittedly I don't know a lot about slavery... We have lived as free people our entire lives.
ONE ANOTHER - November 8, 2012
 "One another" is a oft-repeated phrase throughout the New Testament...
CONTRASTS - November 7, 2012
 The Christ-life is a contrast between our life prior to committing to Christ and ...
LIVING FREELY - November 6, 2012
 So we are free in Christ. What does that freedom look like? How do we live it? 
Free to Love - November 3, 2012
 So Paul fights with the Galatians for their freedom. But what to do with freedom?
Yeast - November 2, 2012
 Whenever the Bible mentions yeast, it almost always is a caution, a warning...
IF-THEN - October 22, 2012
 The "if-then's" of life are important to ponder and heed. 
PROMISE - October 19, 2012
Often when a promise is made, it is contingent on the promise-maker, not so much on the promise-receiver. 
ABRAHAM AND GENETICS - October 18, 2012
 What makes a person a child, a son, a daughter of Abraham?
BEWITCHED - October 17, 2012
Not a common term today, bewitched, but still a common phenomenon.  
NEW TEAM - October 15, 2012
After years of watching Emmitt Smith wear a Cowboys' uniform, it sure looked odd to see him wearing the red of the Arizona Cardinals.
HEARD OF - August 24, 2012
 When you come to people's mind, what do they think?
GOD'S ECONOMY - August 23, 2012
Over and over again in the Old Testament and New, we are challenged that God's ways are not ours.  The reminders seem necessary for how soon we forget.
BY GOD - August 22, 2012
Have you ever considered that what you may be witnessing in your life is really what God is doing, what God is accomplishing?
APPEARANCE - August 17, 2012
 What would Jesus look like? What would the Messiah, the Christ, what of his appearance? 
WHAT DO YOU KNOW - February 9, 2012
 Sometimes we are unable to listen to the words spoken to us because...
TREE - February 8, 2012
 Deciduous trees during their dormant season look dead, right? 
DIRTY WORDS - February 7, 2012
 I know how to cuss.  I've done me some cussin'...
WISDOM - February 6, 2012
 Much that passes as common sense, street wisdom is simply...
ZOPHAR - February 3, 2012
 The third of Job's friends interrupts Job's crying...
JOB SPEAKS - February 2, 2012
 After Job's friends begin their "comfort" of their suffering friend...
BILDAD - February 1, 2012
Now it's Bildad who will explain to poor Job why he's in hell...
HIGH ESTEEM - January 31, 2012
 What does it take in our world to be held in the high esteem of other people? 
NEVER ENDS - January 30, 2012
Sometimes when we're convinced that we have been forsaken...
ABANDONED - January 27, 2012
The story of Job is at least the story of abandonment...
ELIPHAZ THE FRIEND - January 26, 2012
 Help from a friend...
LIFE AS A TEST - January 24, 2012
 Does God test us???
IDLE - January 20, 2012
 A special note...
ENCOURAGE - January 19, 2012
 The New Testament word, "encourage" is multi-faceted...
UNDIVIDED - January 18, 2012
 One of the challenges to discipleship in the 21st century is...
GLORIFIED - January 16, 2012
One reason parents get all excited about their children.... 
INITIATIVE - January 13, 2012
 Have we ever pondered our life in Christ is a direct function of God's initiative?
ACCOUNTABLE - January 12, 2012
 How do you feel about patience, tolerance, mercy?
GROWING - January 10, 2012
 One of the good things that happens at the New Year is we re-evaluate...
GOD'S WILL - January 9, 2012
 Many of us wrestle with discovering God's will...
Worthy - January 6, 2012
 Never turn your back on the monarch...
ACKNOWLEDGE - January 5, 2012
 My mother taught me to write thank you notes...
TIMING IRONY - January 4, 2012
 The New Testament teaches us a message repeatedly... 
YOUR STRENGTH - January 3, 2012
  Where is your strength?  Is it your financial security?  Your cleverness? 
I WILL - January 2, 2012
 New Year's resolutions dominate much conversation and thought as of now.
BILDAD - January 1, 2012
 Now another one of Job's friends "comforts" him...
DISCIPLESHIP VERBS - December 20, 2011
 Paul defines what discipleship is...
SHARED LIVES - December 19, 2011
We often view Christian life from an individualistic perspective... 
PEOPLE PLEASING - December 16, 2011
 It's good to be liked by others...
MODEL - December 15, 2011
 In the 50s and 60s, like many other boys, I built models--airplanes, ships.
ESTABLISH - December 9, 2011
 To be established is to be on a firm basis...
URGE YOU - December 8, 2011
 Are you so busy that you are deaf and blind to...
JUST NAMES - December 7, 2011
Think of the many names that have touched your life. 
PHOEBE - December 6, 2011
 Do you have a "Phoebe" in your life?
REFRESHING FRIENDSHIPS - December 5, 2011
 There are different kind of acquaintances and friendships.
YET - December 2, 2011
 "Yet" is a three letter word with a powerful point...
BLESSED DAY - December 1, 2011
All good theology should... 
NOT GOD! - November 30, 2011
 Well, I'm not God!
GUARD - November 29, 2011
 A guard is one who stands watch over property, given a trust to protect, maintain integrity, etc
ON THIS HILL - November 25, 2011
 As one of my ministry colleagues taught me...
GOOD NEWS - BAD NEWS - November 24, 2011
The Bible seems like one bad news-good news story after another. 
WAKE-UP CALL - November 22, 2011
 Having just received a hotel "wake-up call"....
DEBT - November 21, 2011
There is a strong biblical concern that discourages, even commands Christians to
ALMOST SLIPPED - November 17, 2011
I try to pray or read my way through the Psalms every month. 
LOVE #2 - November 15, 2011
Love in action...
LOVE #1 - November 14, 2011
 1 Corinthians 13 is often dubbed the great love passage, but...
GIFT-HOARDING - November 11, 2011
 My late father-in-law was something of a "gift hoarder."
DID NOT ENTER - November 10, 2011
 In the Bible's many words we can easily miss...
ENCYCLOPEDIA - November 8, 2011
 Sometimes in a few words, a sentence or two, we find an encyclopedia of wisdom.
CORRECTABLE - November 7, 2011
Are you? 
IN THE DOCK - November 4, 2011
C.S. Lewis wrote a book titled God in the Dock.
PROVIDED THAT... - November 3, 2011
"However," "Therefore," "but,"  these are words that are not to be passed over... 
HEARING - November 2, 2011
 To keep faith vibrant...
MOUTH AND HEART - November 1, 2011
 In the faith of Chris there is to be unity...
Zeal, but... - October 31, 2011
 To believe something fervently...
RIGHT - October 28, 2011
As in correct, true, square, proper. 
BACK TALK - October 27, 2011
I wasn't allowed to "back talk" to my parents.  Nevertheless, I had a little sister... 
THE WAY WE FIGURE IT - October 26, 2011
 We continue to think that God acts and thinks like us, BUT...
THEN... - October 25, 2011
 Stressed people often say...
IN BEHALF OF OTHERS - October 24, 2011
 To help others, what might we be willing to set aside, to sacrifice, to give up?
CONDEMNING DOUBTS? - October 21, 2011
 Maybe you've heard about God's forgiveness, BUT...
GOD IS GOD - October 20, 2011
 Why do things happen?
GOD THE REDEEMER - October 19, 2011
 Who's great at putting things together?
SPIRIT PRAYER - October 18, 2011
 Prayer, while a blessing, can also be a challenge...
MY LIFE - October 17, 2011
 Do you know the influence you have?
HOPE DEFINED - October 14, 2011
 What does it mean, "You have to have hope?"
INHERITANCE - October 13, 2011
You are the recipient of a most valuable inheritance.
CONTROLLED - October 12, 2011
 What do control freaks have to do with Christians?
MINDSET - October 11, 2011
 Where are your thoughts often focused?
KNOW BUT IGNORANT - October 10, 2011
 How is it possible to know someone, yet not?
GOD DID - October 7, 2011
 I have good news for you.
NO CONDEMNATION - October 6, 2011
 Many Christians carry a load of guilt, shame, and defeat...
WHO MAY? - October 5, 2011
 The Psalmist asks the question...
The War PART 2 - October 4, 2011
 The war within is the desire to be the person of Christ...
BEAR FRUIT - September 30, 2011
 Ever spend a night in jail?
CLAIMED - September 28, 2011
 We often obey out of obligation...
LIFE AND DEAD - September 27, 2011
 Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
PAY IT FORWARD - September 23, 2011
 The movie "Pay It Forward" tells the story of a grace given to a person.
WISDOM - September 22, 2011
 What is it, wisdom?
SUBSTANTIVE - September 20, 2011
"Have faith" people quip. Faith in what? 
PARENT'S WISH - September 20, 2011
 As King David lives his last days...
ABRAHAM - September 19, 2011
 Abraham lived several thousand years before Jesus.
LAW OF FAITH - September 16, 2011
 Paul tells us in Romans...
CONSCIOUS - September 15, 2011
 To be unaware of what's going on around oneself.
LIVING PER THE CODE - September 14, 2011
Some people who don't want to be troubled by following Jesus... 
PAINT IT BLACK - September 13, 2011
 The Rolling Stones decades ago had a hit song with a dark theme...
INTENTION - September 12, 2011
 A case for God's mercy and grace...
GAVE THEM OVER - September 9, 2011
 C.S. Lewis tells us...
INNOCENCE - September 8, 2011
 Much of humanity operates on the assumption of human innocence.
APOLOGETIC - September 7, 2011
 Even in the Bible Belt many of us are...
DELIVERED - September 6, 2011
 When I hear of stories of alcohol and drug addiction...
IMPART - September 5, 2011
Impart a foundation of right and wrong, a work ethic, and ...
MR. PHELPS - September 2, 2011
  In "Mission Impossible," the star, Jim Phelps, was given a mission...
INVITATION - September 1, 2011
For all the drama of the message of Hosea, and its harshness...
WINNER - August 31, 2011
 Most of us want to be winners, right? 
YOUR GOD - August 30, 2011
Have you resolved the issue of who is your God? 
UNCLEAN - August 29, 2011
 What does it mean to be "unclean?"
DEPENDENT - August 24, 2011
 When is self-confidence wrong?
SETTLE UP - August 23, 2011
 Heaven is a good accountant.
PRAY - August 22, 2011
 What is trivia?  What aspect of our lives does not merit considering in our prayers?
EGYPT AND ASSYRIA - August 19, 2011
Have you ever robbed Peter to pay Paul?  
GOD'S DESIRE - August 18, 2011
 What does God want? What is God's desire?
FOXHOLE THEOLOGY - August 17, 2011
It's hard to be an theist when there are bullets flying around... 
CONSISTENT - August 16, 2011
 Ever been called stubborn?
IGNORE - August 15, 2011
Prophets speak God's word to the people...
AS IF - August 12, 2011
Two little words, but they have much to do with discipleship
ALLURE - August 11, 2011
 What would you do if confronted with unfaithfulness?
MARRIED NOT - August 10, 2011
 Discipleship uses hte metophor of marriage repeatedly...
LOVE-HATE - August 9, 2011
We've all heard of "love-hate" relationships... 
WHY? - August 8, 2011
 We humans are inclined to ask many "Why?" questions...
STONE ROLLER - August 5, 2011
Have you ever faced a huge challenge? 
WAITING - August 4, 2011
 There are several Josephs in the Bible...
IDENTITY - August 3, 2011
What's your primary identity? 
TRUE TRUTH - August 2, 2011
 Truth has relativized in the past decade...
SAVED OTHERS - August 1, 2011
 Saved is a word that Christians give special meaning.
PURPLE ROBE - July 29, 2011
 Purple is often associated with royalty.
BARABBAS - July 28, 2011
 How is truth determined?
BLUNDER REDEMPTION - July 27, 2011
 How many times have you made promises, commitments and broke them?
SILENT - July 26, 2011
 People are usually quick to defend themselves...
DESERTED - July 25, 2011
 Popularity can wear off quickly...
DOZING - July 22, 2011
 Ever doze off?  In the middle of a task?
DENIAL - July 21, 2011
 Denial is when the world we see is...
SUPPER - July 20, 2011
One of my grandsons would eat nothing but French fries...
CHARITABLE RIGHTEOUSNESS - July 15, 2011
 People outside the community of faith can be quick to see the Christian flaws...
GOLLY - July 14, 2011
 Do you remember Gomer Pyle?
THEREFORE - July 13, 2011
  The word carries a great deal of weight in the New Testament.
KNOW - July 12, 2011
Many of us live based upon what we know. 
EVERYTHING - July 11, 2011
 When we promise to follow Christ, what is our level of commitment?
HEZEKIAH 2 - July 8, 2011
 There's a great metaphor in...
HEZEKIAH 1 - July 7, 2011
 It's not a book in the Bible, but a great king...
WORTHLESS - July 6, 2011
 It's a word to be used cautiously...
#1 - July 5, 2011
 Make a list...
MISTAKEN - July 4, 2011
 To be mistaken is not merely about the facts of a matter...
SPLITTING HAIRS - July 1, 2011
 Sometimes people try to weasel around the call of the gospel.
PERSPECTIVE - June 30, 2011
To follow Christ, to be a Christian, teaches us a perspective... 
TENANTS - June 29, 2011
 The owner owns the property, but...
AUTHORITY - June 28, 2011
 Where does "your" authority come from?
HOSANNA - June 24, 2011
The throngs shouted as Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem...
POSTURING - June 23, 2011
 We may be unaware or simply in denial of "Posturing's" presence in our lives.
BLIND BARTIMAUS - June 22, 2011
 When we are stressed, we tend to do the things we know how to do.
IMPOSSIBLE - June 21, 2011
 Routinely we use the word to rescue ourselves from our dreams...
CHILDISH, NO - CHILDLIKE, YES - June 20, 2011
Repeatedly Jesus uses a child as a model of coming to God. 
PRUNING - June 16, 2011
 In gardening, pruning appears to be necessary now and again.
CHARIOTS OF FIRE - June 15, 2011
 Have you ever felt outnumbered, insignificant, and nearly hopeless?
SACRAMENTAL PRAYER - June 14, 2011
 When we pray, lots of things happen.
DISINFECT - June 13, 2011
 When an infection happens...
UNBELIEF - June 10, 2011
As Christians our belief lies with Christ as our hope, redeemer...
INVITATION - June 9, 2011
When words will not explain what's going on in the swirl of our lives... 
LISTEN! - June 8, 2011
 When my mother used to say, "Listen to me!"...
NUF SAID-PART INFINITIUM - June 7, 2011
 Some messages to us from God need very little exposition or explanation.
CONCERNS - June 6, 2011
What are your concerns? What is their source?  
YOU - June 3, 2011
Discipleship, the Christian faith is not so much about "them," or even "us," but about "you."
4000 - June 2, 2011
 Again Jesus feed a huge mass of people, yet...
OPEN - June 1, 2011
We can be closed to the things of God. Take heart, that does not stop God.
DOGS - May 31, 2011
 Many dogs today have a life of privilege...
DULL? - May 30, 2011
Imagine Jesus asking his disciples, "Are you dumber than a box of rocks."
ALONE - May 27, 2011
 Ever feel abandoned and all alone, as if those who had been with you have now deserted you?
LOOPHOLES - May 26, 2011
 How does a loophole compute in God's system?
ELIJAH 1 VS. 450 BAAL PROPHETS 0 - May 25, 2011
 They were the people of God, but the rage of the day was Baalism...
DIRTY? - May 24, 2011
 Why do we call a word "dirty?"
HARD HEART - May 23, 2011
 Ever not "get it" while others seem to comprehend?
5000? - May 20, 2011
 Many of us are familiar with Jesus' miracle of the feeding of 5000, but...
IN OVER YOUR HEAD - May 19, 2011
 One of the chronic mistakes we humans commit is our lack of ...
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY 2011? - May 18, 2011
 What if your preacher simply said, "Repent. You need to repent?"
GOING HOME - May 17, 2011
 Jesus had trouble going home...
LAUGHING AT JESUS - May 16, 2011
 I'm sure it's not very common to laugh at Jesus...
TOUCHING JESUS - May 13, 2011
 If you touch a rabbit's foot, better yet, put one in your pocket, you might have good luck.
RIGHT MIND - May 12, 2011
 Christian discipleship is not merely about beliefs, thinking...
BE VERY AFRAID - May 11, 2011
 In his teaching, we learn that Jesus is impatient with hypocrisy and fear...
TEMPLE OF GOD - May 10, 2011
 When we go to our church buildings, many of us say and think...
APPLE OF YOUR EYE - May 9, 2011
 To be the "apple of your eye" is to be…
EMPIRICAL - May 6, 2011
We live in an empirical world - unless we see it - we struggle to believe it...
CASUAL WORSHIP - May 5, 2011
 Can worship really be casual - as in come-as-you-are, anything goes?
TECHNIQUE - May 4, 2011
"Anthropocentric" means human-centered... 
PROSPERITY GOSPEL - May 3, 2011
 Some ministries are accused of twisting the gospel into a formula for the good life...
JUMP START - May 2, 2011
 How about a prayer to jump start your week?
KINGDOM DIVIDED - April 28, 2011
 Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus in this speech...
AMBITION - April 27, 2011
 What do we want?  Do our ambitions reflect a Christ-centered heart?
12 - April 26, 2011
 Jesus started by calling twelve, but...
THE WAY OF ALL - April 25, 2011
 "Death and taxes," of these we can be sure...
WHO KNOWS? - April 22, 2011
 Is there anyone who knows?
OLD-NEW - April 20, 2011
I've learned that you have to be careful when you mix old and new together..
CALLING YOU - April 19, 2011
 When Jesus called Levi...
BLASPHEMY - April 18, 2011
 The rightful authority of God...
YET - April 15, 2011
 It's only a three-letter word...
THAT IS WHY - April 14, 2011
 How many things do you have to do today?
AUTHORITY - April 13, 2011
 In the first "Star Wars" film...
ABSALOM - April 12, 2011
 He was King David's beloved son...
CHANGE - April 11, 2011
Discipleship implies change.  Yes? 
THREE POINTS - April 8, 2011
A sermon should have...
EVANGEL - April 6, 2011
 The word evangel means simply...
COME - April 5, 2011
 The many words of The Revelation come down to...
COME OUT IN THE WASH - March 31, 2011
 Mark my word; it will come out in the wash...
GREAT WHITE THRONE - March 30, 2011
 John's picture of the fulfillment of history comes fast and furious...
KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS - March 29, 2011
 For all the controversy about The Revelation, in comes down to...
PAST TENSE - March 28, 2011
Who was, who is, who is to come... 
OUR COUNSELOR - March 25, 2011
In our day, to go to a counselor for assistance is commonly employed. 
THE LAMB'S FOLLOWERS - March 24, 2011
 Apocalyptic literature encourages those who are suffering.
A GODLY FOCUS - March 23, 2011
 The Puritans prayed that they would not be too comfortable dwelling closely to sin.
"UNFAIR" - March 22, 2011
 We hear that cry when someone senses injustice.
144,000 - March 21, 2011
The 144,000 who have the mark of the Lamb, not the Beast... 
MARK OF THE BEAST - March 18, 2011
The mysteries and images of The Revelation are not only a call to faithfulness, but a hindrance. 
STRONG - March 17, 2011
I used to go to the YMCA to become "strong"... 
WAR IN HEAVEN - March 16, 2011
Where is God not in charge?  
BUT... - March 15, 2011
 Things go out of control in our world--hurt, woe, suffering, hatred... 
STRENGTH TO GO ON - March 14, 2011
 Sometimes even with our best intentions, things seem to go against us.
A PURPOSE IN MERCY AND GRACE - March 11, 2011
The Psalmist tells the fantastic story how time and again... 
A THIRD - March 10, 2011
 No one wants to hear bad news...
TRIBULATION - March 9, 2011
A time of affliction, trial, great distress...
ACCOUNTABLE - March 8, 2011
A key to understanding apocalyptic literature is... 
SONG #2 - March 7, 2011
 Songs carry a huge message..they announce...
THE SONGS - March 4, 2011
 Songs often tell a story like...
LAODICEA - March 3, 2011
 Ever been clueless or completely wrong about your self-awareness?
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD - March 2, 2011
 Has it ever crossed your mind that you carry with you the authority of Jesus Christ?
SARDIS - March 1, 2011
Sardis had the reputation of...
THATIRA - February 25, 2011
Another challenge for Christians today is to….
PERGAMUM - February 24, 2011
 A challenge for Christians today...
SMYRNA - February 23, 2011
 The letter to Smyrna is one of the least considered letters...
EPHESUS - February 22, 2011
 Seven letters to seven churches...
ALPHA & OMEGA - February 21, 2011
 They are the first and the last...
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS - February 18, 2011
This hymn has disappeared from many hymnals... 
PEOPLE-PLEASER - February 17, 2011
 Reasonable, some consider it a virtue, but maybe...
THREE TENSES - February 16, 2011
 I'm no grammar expert, but...
Apocalypse - February 15, 2011
 The word is associated with doom and gloom...
USEFUL - February 14, 2011
 More than useful...
PRISONER - February 11, 2011
 Have we ever been a prisoner?
GREETINGS - February 10, 2011
 As a young salesperson in the streets of Chicago...
IRREGULAR PEOPLE - February 9, 2011
 Does anyone make you feel like you're walking on egg-shells?
THESE THINGS - February 8, 2011
The importance of living in the little things of life... 
WINNING THE LOTTERY - February 7, 2011
 What would you do if you won the lottery?
EBENEZER - February 4, 2011
What is an ebenezer? 
RENEWAL - February 3, 2011
"Renewal" is new life, another resolve, invigoration...
JUST SAY "NO" - February 2, 2011
 Do you remember the government's "Just say 'No"" campaign?
SELF-CONTROL - February 1, 2011
 Today, self-control is often overthrown for self-indulgence...
TEACH - January 31, 2011
How do we learn a behavior or lifestyle? 
ORDER ORDERS - January 27, 2011
It can be sobering to a person when someone tells him/her, "Put your affairs in order." 
FURTHER - January 26, 2011
 When do we get there, Daddy?
"SEE YA" TRANSFORMED - January 25, 2011
 How do you say goodbye to another?
COURAGE? - January 24, 2011
 Stories of courageous men are throughout the Bible...
LOOKING BACK - January 21, 2011
With hindsight, how might you live differently? 
THREE - January 20, 2011
 Life comes at us in three's, it seems...
KEEP YOUR HEAD - January 19, 2011
 Literally speaking, it's good advice.  Figuratively...
THE NEGATIVE - January 18, 2011
Discipleship summons in us the positive, and yet...
THE POSITIVE - January 17, 2011
Where to start?  The positive or negative...
SO THAT - January 14, 2011
 Why do we need to know scripture?
CARRY ON - January 13, 2011
 It's a great thing to start something...
COST OF DISCIPLESHIP - January 11, 2011
 Is the Christian faith about meeting my personal religious needs, or...
FOR EDUCATION'S SAKE - January 10, 2011
 Education is a great thing.  However...
FORM, NO FUNCTION - January 7, 2011
Form follows function, right? 
COME TO SENSES - January 6, 2011
 In the famous story of the Prodigal Son...
QUARRELSOME - January 5, 2011
 Have you ever felt quarrelsome?
PURSUE - January 4, 2011
From a Christ-centered perspective, what do you pursue? 
GODLESS CHATTER - PART 2 - January 3, 2011
 Another form of godless chatter is...
GODLESS CHATTER - December 31, 2010
 The art of conversation, small talk...
YOUR BEST - December 30, 2010
What does it mean to do your best? 
CHAINED - December 29, 2010
 Ever feel powerless to deal with what's going on around you?
RULES - December 28, 2010
 Speed limits, athletic events, community living...
MERCY - December 27, 2010
Christmas...is among other things about... 
GOOD DEPOSIT - December 24, 2010
 A couple years ago I sat in a church on a weekday afternoon...
BECAUSE I KNOW - December 23, 2010
 A belief is something...
HOLY - December 22, 2010
In a couple of days we celebrate...
DISCIPLESHIP - December 21, 2010
 A key element of being a disciple is...
STOKE - December 20, 2010
Do you know the art of making a fire? 
ME - December 17, 2010
 Therapists teach us...
LEGACY - December 16, 2010
Are you living your faith in isolation? 
WILL OF GOD - December 15, 2010
 Christians speak often of the will of God...
SIMON & GARFUNKEL & ISAIAH - December 14, 2010
 Have you heard "The Sounds of Silence?"
PROMISE & RESPONSE - December 13, 2010
 Often promises nurture...
LOOK - December 10, 2010
Look at me...
REFRAIN - December 9, 2010
 What are you hearing over and over in your life?
TELL - December 8, 2010
There is tremendous power in... 
WILL - December 7, 2010
 When your circumstances are not what you desire...
DRESSED - December 6, 2010
Sometimes it's hard to find just the right clothes for a special occasion... 
ARISE - December 3, 2010
 Arise, shine, for your light has come!
TRUTH - December 2, 2010
Can you handle the truth? 
TRUE RELIGION - December 1, 2010
 What makes one a true Christian?
CONTRITE - November 30, 2010
Are you contrite? 
KNOW THYSELF - November 29, 2010
How well do we know ourselves? 
THIRSTY - November 26, 2010
How do you "buy food" when you have no money? 
MARRIAGE - November 25, 2010
 A holy marriage, a covenant...
SUBSTITUTE - November 24, 2010
Have you ever had a substitute? 
INQUIRY - November 23, 2010
Do you have a big decision to make?
WINNING STREAK - November 22, 2010
Are you on a losing streak and seeking a turn around?
SUFFERING SERVANT - November 19, 2010
One of the challenges of being a Christian...
WHY FEET? - November 18, 2010
To be human is to complain about...
ONE BAD APPLE - November 17, 2010
"One bad apple spoils the whole barrel." The proverb teaches a truth we fight. We are such...
SIGHTED - November 16, 2010
"Twas blind but now I see." The chant of "Amazing Grace" points us to our history. For so long we think...
SUSTENANCE - November 15, 2010
I love to cook, and I love to eat good food. I'm blessed, rarely have I paused to eat for...
SAVIOR - November 12, 2010
Many years ago there was a TV commercial for a...
LEADER - November 11, 2010
To be a leader is to be second-guessed, judged, even ridiculed. Whether you agree with the President, Obama, Bush, Clinton, it is more...
MERCY - November 10, 2010
 Mercy is an interesting word. It comes from the same root as...
MARCHING ORDERS - November 9, 2010
Please read thoughtfully the "marching orders" below. They were spoken...
I AM GOD - November 8, 2010
"I am God." This theme comes up numerous times in the Bible. Why?
GOD ORDERED - November 5, 2010
The biblical world sees a God-ordered society. In other words, God is front and center; creatures and creation...
NO OTHER - November 4, 2010
Today in our culture of fair play and tolerance, it makes many of us uncomfortable when terms of exclusivity are used as in there is no other god.


ASSURANCE OF PARDON - November 3, 2010
In the Order of Worship in many of our churches and worship services, after confessing our sins, an Assurance of Pardon is declared, the Good News! I propose...


THE BLIND, THE CAPTIVE - November 2, 2010
When we read words like "the blind" or "the captives," as a rule, it is safe to understand them literally. However,...
MANY VOICES - November 1, 2010
There have always been many voices beckoning us to heed their counsel and advice. Today with media, Internet, those voices are innumerable. So...to whom do we listen?


NUFF SAID - October 29, 2010
Often times the words spoken to us by God's servants in scripture...
NO MATTER WHAT - October 28, 2010
Have you ever said this expression, "No matter what?" It means...
OH YEAH - THAT'S RIGHT - October 27, 2010
Every now and then something comes back to our mind, something we've forgotten, and we might say...
SPREAD IT OUT - October 26, 2010
Do you know what it means to "hold your cards close to the chest?"
SENNACHERIB - October 25, 2010
Sen-KNOCK-a-rib, it's pronounced. He was the king of...
DESERT STREAMS - October 22, 2010
I've never lived in the desert or spent much time there. But I've watched what happens when...
SOCIAL - October 21, 2010
The word "social," has several meanings. One is the idea of a gathering of people to chat, kibbutz, compare dress, enjoy good food and drink usually in a handsome setting. But ...
UNDIVIDED HEART - October 20, 2010
 My recollection tells me the human heart has four chambers: two atria, and two ventricles. Yet...
GOVERNMENT - October 19, 2010
Isaiah lived in the present and summoned the people of God into the future. He didn't have much use...
PRACTICAL PLANS - October 18, 2010
"Let's be practical." BEWARE! These words often are the first steps to...
LOSERS WEEPERS - October 15, 2010
"Finders keepers, losers weepers." There's a street ethic taught since...
PLAY-DOH COMPLETE - October 14, 2010
Imagine buying a can of Play-Doh, yet when it's opened, it's already sculpted, and hardened. Isn't that missing the point?


THE ROCK - October 12, 2010
An insurance company uses the image of ...
TRUST - October 11, 2010
When my children were toddlers, they climbed on the playground until...
COMMIT - October 8, 2010
In the barnyard the pig and chicken think about going into business. The chicken says, "Yeah, we can...
ADMISSION - October 7, 2010
We went to the State Fair. You need a ticket for everything. No ticket, no admission. It was a fun but...
GOOD NEWS - October 6, 2010
We call it the "gospel," or the good news. People are always...
TELL - October 5, 2010
Storytelling is...           
OT - October 4, 2010
No, not overtime, but Old Testament. Some say the Old Testaments, like...
gods - October 1, 2010
Our culture of tolerance and pluralism makes us these days less inclined to attack or ridicule the gods of another culture. However...

DARK NIGHT - September 30, 2010
"It was a dark and stormy night..."
WELLS - September 29, 2010
In my grandparents' front yard was an Artesian well, a spring bubbling up with cool, clean water. People...
DEAD PLANTS - September 28, 2010
Every spring in our bushes in front of our home, we have a dead plant that I want to tear up. My wife argues, "It's not dead. It will come back." "No," I protest, "It's dead as a doornail." And every summer ...
CHRONIC - September 27, 2010
The word, "chronic" comes from the Greek word, "chronos," meaning "time." So chronic carries...
NUF SAID - September 24, 2010
Often the Word of God says it all; it doesn't take...
A NEW REIGN - September 23, 2010
Isaiah lived in a bleak day for the people of God. Yet he saw...
GOD'S WAYS - September 22, 2010
People often try to boil the faith down to simple rationalizations, common sense, or...
IN-SOURCING - September 21, 2010
"Out-sourcing" is the talk in commerce these past years. In essence, the notion is that you...
THE CALL - September 20, 2010
Some people get the call. They're busy doing their thing, and God interrupts them and...
HOT LIPS - September 17, 2010
Hotlips Houlihan was a character in the serial, "MASH." But there is a hotlips in...
A FRUITFUL VINEYARD - September 16, 2010
Imagine owning a grape vineyard to produce fine wine but the vineyard never produced grapes.
I SAW THE LORD - September 15, 2010
Imagine seeing God...
JUSTICE & THE PROPHET - September 14, 2010
To be a prophet is much less about seeing into the future, much more about calling the people to faithfulness. Isaiah is...
PEOPLE WILL COME - September 13, 2010
The baseball-love movie, "Field of Dreams" whispers “people will come." So if...
ISAIAH - September 10, 2010
Isaiah was a prophet to the people of God. Like a coach, a prophet is...
GRACE - September 9, 2010
 Egg-shell people: These are people you are afraid you are going to...
FRAGRANT OFFERING - September 8, 2010
The Philippians love Paul, and Paul loves the Philippians. They mutually represent...
THE CHIEF END - September 7, 2010
The Westminster Catechism, one of the great documents the church ever...
Content - September 6, 2010
When I was a boy, TV commercials ran for Carnation milk. Why was it so good, they asked...
MIND CONTROL - September 3, 2010
The concept of "mind control," as commonly understood, is generally negative, picturing...
EASTER '74 - September 2, 2010
My life took its most substantive change on Easter Sunday, 1974. That was the day I ...
PASSPORT - September 1, 2010
The passport we carry is important. I just returned from a delegation to South America, and my passport was...
SAME MIND - August 31, 2010
Mind: As in, "out of your mind," or "having a right mind," or "differing minds," and also...
PRESS ON - August 27, 2010
“The Tortoise and The Hare" risks being...
WRITE IT OFF - August 26, 2010
I don't know very much about tax law and accounting, but I've heard the phrase...
REFORMATION - August 23, 2010
Martin Luther brought to pass what we call...
BEATITUDES II - August 20, 2010
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will..." You remember...
BUT ME - August 19, 2010
Looking around at others may not be the best way to assay how life is going, how I'm doing as a Christ-follower.
Surely God is good to...

THEREFORE IF - August 18, 2010
The faith of Christ, in other words, if we say we have chosen to follow Jesus Christ, the implication is...
WORTHY MANNER - August 17, 2010
I heard Emmitt Smith's recent Hall of Fame induction speech. He always dreamed ...
IN CHAINS - August 16, 2010
 Imagine being in chains because you have chosen to follow Christ,...
PRAYER - August 13, 2010
When we pray, what do we pray for? Our health, that our kid...
OUR CONFIDENCE - August 11, 2010
We are taught a great deal about self-confidence, and its importance in our culture, and I see its importance. But...
SNAKE - August 10, 2010
I don't much like snakes along with many of you. But a snake can teach us about...
THANK GOD! - August 9, 2010
The phrase, "Thank God," carries many different nuances and...
MY GOD, MY GOD - August 6, 2010
The words that Jesus cries out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" They were not original to Jesus, but...
THE BEST GIFT - August 5, 2010
What is the best gift you can imagine? Money? Diamonds? Vacations, a car?
A BATH - August 4, 2010
When I went to elementary school a lifetime ago, at the end of the day, the teacher would ask...
IDENTITY - August 3, 2010
What is your primary identity?
TRUE TRUTH - August 2, 2010
The late Francis Schaeffer taught me the term, "true truth," he was ahead of his time. Truth has relativized...
GROWING UP - July 30, 2010
Some of Jesus' last words with Peter are about love, but actually about growing up.
FISHIN' - July 29, 2010
Some of us think...
BELIEF UNTO LIFE - July 28, 2010
There is a risk that our beliefs get reduced to "head stuff." Meaning...
DOUBT - July 27, 2010
 Many of us are troubled by a host of doubts. Somehow doubt has been judged...
PEACE - July 26, 2010
Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace. We pray for peace on earth. But do we know...
CRYING - July 23, 2010
In C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia there is a wonderful scene where a young heroine is...
LEANER - July 22, 2010
In the game of Horseshoes, you score points by throwing the shoe around the stake, a "ringer," but if you are touching the stake, or just leaning up against it, that also has value...
POSTURE - July 21, 2010
Posture tells us much. When my dog approaches me, her genetic ancestry kicks in and...
BONES - July 20, 2010
How can there be any significance to the fact that when Jesus was crucified none...
FAMILY - July 19, 2010
Jesus redefines for us the word, "family." We are at risk today in the church...
KNOW NOT - July 16, 2010
As Jesus is crucified, he says the famous words, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." It was true throughout the betrayal, arrest, crucifixion and even resurrection...
DOUBLE ENTENDRE - July 13, 2010
Sometimes we say something but...
UNITY - July 12, 2010
Jesus' great priestly prayer of John 17 ends with a call to unity. He prays that God would unite us and that...

BEHALF OF FOLLOWERS - July 9, 2010
Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Less-Travelled," speaks of ...
PRAY - July 8, 2010
Megachurch pastor, Bill Hybels, wrote a fine book on prayer and harried people's lives: Too Busy Not to Pray. It's a sermon in a title...
TAKE HEART - July 7, 2010
Jesus is concerned not only with duty, discipleship, obedience, but also our spirits. So he says...
TOO MUCH TO BEAR - July 6, 2010
Sometimes we're just not ready for the situation, for the information that we need. Yet the time comes...
A NEW TEAM - July 5, 2010
Some years ago I didn't much like it when I saw Emmitt Smith wearing....
FRIEND - July 2, 2010
To have a friend, to be a friend is an overlooked grace in...
FRUITFUL - July 1, 2010
In a culture that nearly worships productivity, it's interesting that the Christian faith speaks to a related issue...
ABIDE - June 30, 2010
It's an old, seldom-used word, "abide." To hang out, to stay together, connected. Our cat and dog don't like it when we leave them, get in the car, drive away, but...
ALONGSIDE - June 29, 2010
The human quest for God, anthropologists tell us, is...
IF - June 28, 2010
Logically, the word, "if" asks a question, or presents a possibility. "If...
WORD-LIVING - June 25, 2010
An unplugged lamp gives no light.  The electricity it takes to...
SPITTIN' IMAGE - June 24, 2010
Sometimes I look at my children and I see...
GPS - June 23, 2010
Having just returned from a bicycle trip in the hinterlands of...
VOWS - June 22, 2010
We might want to be careful when we make a vow. "I'll never drink again," or, "I promise to lose...
ELEVEN COMMANDMENTS - June 21, 2010
Most of us are familiar with the term "the Ten Commandments." What if I were to tell you that there are actually eleven commandments?
CONNECTED - June 18, 2010
John's Gospel is theologically and logically inter-connected. Meaning...
BENEDICTION - June 17, 2010
"Bene" "diction," or good saying...
NO WAY - June 16, 2010
"That ain't gonna happen!"
PEOPLE PLEASING - June 15, 2010
I really want people to be happy with me, to like me; I'm a classic people pleaser (Oh...
DARN FOREIGNERS - June 14, 2010
If we're used to particular people, we don't get too upset when in their midst. However, strangers...
HATE LIFE? - June 11, 2010
"Enjoy Life, Enjoy God," is my biblical and theological commitment to life: that life lived faithfully and to the fullest is accomplished doing both. Our God declared life and the world "good," however...


DOWNCAST - June 10, 2010
"Downer," "bummer," "got the blues..." Sometimes life gets us, doesn't it? The Psalmist uses...
RETROSPECT - June 9, 2010
Retro = back, backwards; spect = to look. We're also told that...
EVIDENCE - June 8, 2010
We are evidence in an important on-going trial. Yes we are!
KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO - June 7, 2010
Sometimes people say and do profound things, yet in doing so they completely...
SCAPEGOAT - June 4, 2010
The term "scapegoat," the one who takes the blame, or bears the guilt, that's a fairly common term. But do we know its source?
LAZARUS COME OUT - June 3, 2010
The reason Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life" is indelibly connected with...
LIVE BY BELIEVING - June 2, 2010
The Bible's message harps like a broken record, but belief is not so much thinking, as...
DYING THOMAS - June 1, 2010
Yes, in this case, not "doubting Thomas," which we know is true, but "Dying Thomas," which...
PLAINLY - May 29, 2010
To speak plainly is to want to make sure the listener understands; that's good. Yet it can also...
SHEPHERD - May 28, 2010
..." While the 23rd Psalm may be one of the most famous of all Bible verses...
I AM - May 27, 2010
"I am" carries at least a double meaning in John's Gospel. First,...
FACE TO FACE - May 26, 2010
Imagine coming face to face with...
WHO IS JESUS? - May 25, 2010
It's a constant question...
PUT OUT - May 24, 2010
As of today, 2010 in the United States, it's still acceptable to consider oneself a Christian. As of today, one does not have to ...
SAPPY AND FRUITFUL - May 20, 2010
"Sappy," not in the sense of corny and too emotionally sweet, but ...
LIGHT - May 19, 2010
Ever use your cell phone for a flashlight?
RATIONALE - May 18, 2010
We live in a world that demands explanations. Whether it be an oil well in the Gulf spewing crude, or...
JESUS REVEALED - May 17, 2010
"Cultural Jesus," the Jesus often spoken of in...
TWO ROADS - May 14, 2010
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..."
PRESUMPTION - May 13, 2010
Yes, putting our faith in Christ secures us in him. Yet there is a religious...
INDEPENDENT OPERATOR - May 12, 2010
While we are born into families, quickly, most of us...
CONDEMNATION - May 11, 2010
Religion often seems to be linked with...
KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO - May 10, 2010
Jesus prays such even as he dies on the cross. But there are...
HARD - May 7, 2010
Speaking the Sermon on the Mount to droves of people on a hillside, and feeding the 5000 leads us to the mistaken conclusion that Jesus' teaching led to...
THE CLOUD - May 6, 2010
For many people the presence of God gives...
BREAD - May 5, 2010
I love bread. I've baked bread for more than thirty years. My love affair with bread began...
WORK? - May 4, 2010
What is required of us, what does this religion...
A CHILD'S RESOURCES - April 30, 2010
Most young children...
MOSES & JESUS - April 29, 2010
Moses and Jesus were not...
FATHER & SON - April 28, 2010
John's Gospel announces mighty acts of God in Jesus, but also, a theological tour de force, most challenging at that!  

BIGGER POSSIBILITIES - April 27, 2010
Sometimes our expectations, and what we're used to, blind us to the bigger possibilities before us...  
 
LEANER - April 26, 2010
My grandfather pitched horseshoes. The goal was a ringer, to get the shoe around the post. But you could also score with...
OUR STORY - April 23, 2010
For all of the miracles of modern technology, the bottom line is...
WORSHIP - April 22, 2010
Worship continues to be a great debate in the church today. In a self-focused 21st century, worship frequently is...
KNOWING OF WHAT YOU ASK - April 21, 2010
Conversations at two levels sometimes happen. Meaning, one person thinks they're talking about one thing, but ...
THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST - April 20, 2010
We live in a world that has some interest in God, but often takes exception when Christians keep talking about...
KNOW YOUR PLACE - April 19, 2010
We live in a world of position, visibility, prestige, popularity, that values attention, glamour, fame-all these things. John the Baptist lived there too...
3:16 - April 17, 2010
It may be the most famous and oft-quoted passage in the entire Bible:...
LOOKING TO A SNAKE? - April 15, 2010
What do you have to do to be saved? That simple question has caused...
WIND - April 14, 2010
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot...
HOUSE-CLEANING - April 13, 2010
Most of us realize from time to time, a little housecleaning is called for. We not only tidy up, but...
GLORY - April 12, 2010
 I'm not sure I get the concept of glory, do you? We often...
COME & SEE - April 9, 2010
"Check this out," we hear, or, "Look at this." Most of us walk
LAMB - April 8, 2010
John the Baptist calls Jesus "the lamb of God." Most of us are not experts on sheep, but I know...
POSSESSED - April 7, 2010
To say the word "possessed" assumes...
JOHN THE BABTIST - April 6, 2010
John the Baptist is pictured...
THEOLOGICAL TURNAROUND - April 5, 2010
We just celebrated Easter...
UNRECOGNIZED - April 2, 2010
Today is Good Friday. On this day...
LIFE - April 1, 2010
Springing up from the beginning is life. In the first words of the book of Genesis we move immediately to life. When John starts his good news about ...
LAST WORDS! - March 31, 2010
James' short letter is chock-full of relevant counsel for daily discipleship, right up until his very last words. Yet it prompts me...
TROUBLE? - March 30, 2010
An insurance commercial recently picked up the soulful cry of ...
A TERRIBLE WORD - March 29, 2010
My wife has harassed her household for years with a proverb from her growing up: "...
STRATEGIC PLANNING - March 26, 2010
The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, heard a lecturer one evening speak of the future...
WORSE THAN DEATH - March 25, 2010
I'm not speaking philosophically, but practically--the question rises, is there...
TOO FRIENDLY - March 24, 2010
There's an old saying, "...
INSIDE OUT - March 23, 2010
Ever...
THE DARK SIDE - March 22, 2010
The longing to get ahead, and make something of oneself is...
TONGUE TOO - March 19, 2010
The use of our tongue, or the spoken word, is a source of...
TEACHER'S TONGUE - March 18, 2010
When we threw off our inhibitions in the 1960s, it may be we tossed...
WORLD CHANGERS - March 17, 2010
Many of us toy with the notion that having been in this world...
BY FAITH? - March 16, 2010
Jesus tells his followers: "Why do you call me,'Lord, Lord,' and do not...
FAVORITISM - March 15, 2010
Gold Status--Recently American Airlines informed me that I was...
MIRROR - March 12, 2010
Mirrors show us what is, not what will be. No future in a mirror, just...
QUICK - SLOW - March 11, 2010
"Quick" and "slow" are words appropriate for what it looks like to be a...
TEMPTED? SORT OF... - March 10, 2010
Temptation happens outside of us, initially. But, but it quickly...
GOLD MEDAL - March 9, 2010
Just a few days ago the Winter Olympics entertained us, maybe even...
YOU - March 8, 2010
Even the most self-confident of us often feel...
STAND IN A CANOE - March 5, 2010
Ever try to stand up in a canoe? It's quite a challenge, and for most of us, we won't be standing long...
PURE JOY - March 4, 2010
What comes to your mind when you hear the word, "joy?" For me...
RECKONING - March 3, 2010
Sometimes when I hear a Christian official announce in the media that some...
RENEWAL - March 1, 2010
Our inspiration, our devotion, in truth, fluctuates up and down. In spite of...
ROSETTA STONE - February 26, 2010
If my memory serves me correctly, the famous Rosetta Stone...
MANASSEH - February 25, 2010
Here we go again...
SPREAD IT OUT - February 24, 2010
Sometimes life and circumstances threaten to swamp us, overwhelm us. I have learned...
FAITH A VERB - February 23, 2010
Someties when we look only at the facts, the hard data, what we see may seem bleak. The data is so...
HEZEKIAH - February 22, 2010
The rogue's gallery of sleaze-ball kings throughout 2 Kings takes a time-out when we meet...
THE END--PART? - February 19, 2010
Page after page of social and national decline marks much of 2 Kings. Not too cheery. Yet...
WHEN GOD BOWS TO KINGS - February 18, 2010
I confess, it's sometimes a bit of a challenge to find words of exhortation, and encouragement...
THE GENERATIONS - February 17, 2010
We inherit from our parents, ancestors our DNA; we learn by example much good, and some not so good. At least in part, we are those who've gone before us...

JOSEPH, OUR TEACHER - February 16, 2010
We are students and learn our life lessons by many diverse means, sometimes...
NEGATIVE BALLAST - February 15, 2010
I don't know too much about boats, ships, etc. but I do know that...
JEHU - February 12, 2010
In Texas it's, "Yay-who," elsewhere, maybe, "yaw-who," ...
GOD IS GOD... - February 11, 2010
In the movie, "Rudy," the wanna be Notre Dame football player...
GRACE & SELF-ESTEEM - February 10, 2010
Self-Esteem is a relatively new concept. It was deemed a corrective to self-condemnation, among other things. But self-esteem is...
BROKEN RECORD - February 9, 2010
Remember the old days, Remember the old days, Remember the old days...?
KILL THE MESSENGER - February 8, 2010
It's an age-old truth it seems, we people confuse the message with the messenger. Imagine beating up...
CHARIOTS OF FIRE - February 5, 2010
Ever hear a phrase or a story from the Bible...
RASTLE - February 4, 2010
I love to hear a young guy say,"...
LOCAL GODS - February 3, 2010
21st century wisdom tells us that ...
CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS - February 3, 2010
The Psalmist tells us that our father in heaven owns the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10). In other words...
AN INHERITANCE - February 1, 2010
To be inspired by another person's life can be a blessing to the one who inspires us, as well as ourselves.
FIRST COMMANDMENT - January 29, 2010
You shall have no other gods before me. --Exodus 20:3 TNIV
GENERATIONS - January 28, 2010
The biblical perspective exalts the passing on of the faith and its practice from generation to generation above...
MAJORITY RULES? - January 27, 2010
Democracy is a wonderful thing, and the rule of the majority a blessing. But that the majority rules does not mean...
REAL ESTATE DEAL GONE BAD - January 26, 2010
Ever been ripped off? Ever had anyone treat you...
WISDOM OF WORD - January 25, 2010
I'm not sure why you read "Enjoy Life, Enjoy God."
ELIJAH & ELISHA - January 22, 2010
Many of the great leaders I've known personally, especially Christian leaders, have made it a point to...
ALL ALONE? - January 21, 2010
Feeling isolated, abandoned, or going it alone, can be...
HOW MANY TIMES? - January 20, 2010
Do you learn the first time? To learn a lesson are you one that...
VICTIM OF SOY-CUM-STANCE - January 19, 2010
Curly, of Three Stooges fame, when caught by his buddy, Moe, who was about to poke Curly in the eyes, heard Curly's defense: "I was a...
WORD IS TRUTH - January 18, 2010
The widow of Zarephath heard prophets, holy men speak before. She had less and less use for them...
AHAB & JEZEBEL - January 15, 2010
The worst of Alcatraz, murderer's row--imagine a person, the worst ever to...
ASA - January 14, 2010
Question: Do you do what you believe, OR, believe what you do?
NEVERTHELESS - January 13, 2010
"Nevertheless" is one of those big little words. Unlike "and," or "but," it has...
GIVEN YOUR WORD - January 12, 2010
"To give your word," is meant to make a promise, and keep it. It may also affect how we understand God's Word.
CIVIL WAR - January 11, 2010
A war within, "civil," as in, we behave decently, kindly, thoughtfully, "civilly."  "Now tell them...
DISTRACTED - January 7, 2010
His competitors often marvelled at Jack Nicklaus' amazing focus, his concentration. Jack avoided distraction...
MY OWN EYES - January 6, 2010
"Seeing is believing." Doubting Thomas wanted to see the risen Christ before he'd jump on the resurrection band wagon. Yet...
CREDIT - January 5, 2010
I'm no accountant. But a credit, simply put,,,
PRAYER ANSWERED - January 4, 2010
Imagine God coming to us after we've prayed. "Okay, I heard your prayer. Very good! Here's my answer to your prayer. This is what ...
PARTY ON! - January 1, 2010
Maybe I'm a half a day late or so...
UNDIVIDED HEART - December 31, 2009
A great challenge of discipleship is that often we mean well, we have good intentions, but our lives are so conflicted with internal divisions and priorities. We...
CASUAL SOCIETY - December 30, 2009
That's where we live today. Formal wear, "dressing up," are all but relics of the past. Yet there is a caution to allow "casual" to affect our theology and practice. When all the work King Solomon...
FOUNDATIONAL PROMISE - December 29, 2009
"If you agree to serve as an officer in the United States Army for a certain period of time, we will...
BUILDING PROGRAM - December 28, 2009
Sometimes in our enthusiasms, we launch out on new initiatives, bold programs. Sometimes we build a hospital in our name, or...
BLESSING STEWARDSHIP - December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas! I pray that amidst the stress of the Christmas holiday, the potential "downsides," that it's the joy that triumphs for you. So I say again, "Merry Christmas!"
 
WISDOM FROM ABOVE - December 24, 2009
In Bethlehem so many years ago, God broke into the world from above. Some looked to the star as a sign that a rescuer, a king, a Savior was to come...
A GOOD EDUCATION - December 23, 2009
  We are a people who value getting a good education for ourselves, and the next generations. Yet...
CHRISTMAS & REDEMPTION - December 22, 2009
As precious as the picture of a baby in the manger can be, of God come in the flesh, incarnation, still it is redemption that captures my attention.
THE WASH - December 21, 2009
I'm sure my grandmother was troubled about inequities in the world, in our family, in the immediate neighborhood. Yet I remember...
THE WAY OF ALL - December 18, 2009
A course in logic and philosophy taught me, "every" or "all," are universal inclusives, meaning...
BOW DOWN - December 17, 2009
To bow down before another person, literally, in our Western culture is all but unheard of. Yet, it is a posture of significance, even for disciples today...
LEADERSWHIP VACUUM - December 16, 2009
Leadership requires vigilance. The captain of the ship, even when...
COME - December 15, 2009
At no time is the Christian faith meant to be irrational, or to disengage one's mind. Yet the faith is not ...
RIVER OF LIFE - December 14, 2009
In southwestern Utah I saw a desolate, parched landscape, but then...
BUILDING PROJECTS - December 11, 2009
The people of God have forever been fascinated with houses for God: tents in the wilderness, tabernacles, the ark of the covenant, The Great Temple, and...
BOX OF KLEENEX - December 10, 2009
We use facial tissues for a variety of purposes beyond makeup removal, and blowing our noses when we have a cold. Imagine a day when we have no need for Kleenex.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? - December 8, 2009
The next time you fret, are overwhelmed with concern or anxiety, and mutter, "What am I going to do?" I suggest you...
WHITE HORSE WORD - December 7, 2009
The spectacles throughout John's Revelation are terrible and fascinating. But remember...
FALLEN BABYLON - December 4, 2009
Some people are fascinated by the amazing, if not, terrifying images of The Revelation. Others are...
HIT PARADE - December 2, 2009
In the early days of television there was a weekly show, Hit Parade, that followed and promoted pop music. Hit Parade let us know the hits, and we heard them performed.
666 - December 1, 2009
A number of terror? 666, the "mark of the beast" (Rev 13:18) For all the ink spilled on this controversy, a reverent reading by faithful Christ-followers should be a note of hope and encouragement, not terror.

AT WAR - November 30, 2009
People who first heard The Revelation of John knew that they were at war. The penalty for belief in Christ earned no end of retribution. War was all around.
BOUNDARIES - November 25, 2009
Boundaries can be a political or geographic marker indicating a claim, possession or the like. But boundaries can also mark the limits, as in, it can go this far, but no father, not beyond.
PRAYER PERFUME - November 24, 2009
Realtors know that fresh baking bread is a great aroma to have in a house when people are thinking about buying. Perfume has been known to stop a man in his tracks.
THE SONGS - November 23, 2009
When people read The Revelation of John, I notice that as a rule they discount or overlook the songs. What do you mean? Those passages...
HEADLINE NEWS - November 20, 2009
Ever get sick of hearing the headline news? Murderous shootings at army bases, economic instability, fears of new diseases, parents abusing children....on and on. Make you sick? What's going on? How to understand such malevolence and evil? There are no easy answers, but...
SLAIN LION - November 19, 2009
Superheroes are fun characters, but they ain't real! Troubling times need to be grounded in,,,
LAODICEA COFFEE - November 18, 2009
"Moderation in all things."  "I don't want to get too excited."  This may be good street wisdom for us common folk, but it may be quite contrary to the spirit of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. 
IN CHARGE - November 17, 2009
Apocalyptic literature always is written to a suffering, persecuted people, ones in the crush of a crucible. That ought to influence our interpreation and understanding of the writing.  Day and....

HOLD ON - November 16, 2009
The soul duo, Sam & Dave, crooned, "Hold on, I'm comin'..." Maybe from a slightly different note, it's a song for Christ followers as well.  Since you...
UNFINISHED - November 13, 2009
"Unfinished business"--we know the term, the concept. But what if it were spoken of us, as in we have some, we are some unfinished business?  I know your deeds...
GRACE, PATIENCE AND COLE PORTER - November 12, 2009
Many of you may not know the name Cole Porter. He wrote many wonderful songs back in the 1930s and 40s: "Night & Day," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and "Anything Goes." "Anything Goes" is a delightful song, and may describe the times, but...
YET - November 11, 2009
"Yet" is a powerful three-letter word.  Often it changes...
THE CROWN - November 10, 2009
"Crown" is a biblical symbol of accomplishment, a precious gift, reward. It could be said that our crown is what we've always hoped for.  Do not be...
FIRST THINGS - November 9, 2009
Married couples come to me and share that they face some discord, challenges, after ten, fifteen or more years. The thrill is gone.  Yet I hold this against you...
FRATERNITY - November 6, 2009
Part of the meaning of the word "fraternity" is belonging together with others, sisters and brothers strengthened by a common commitment.  I,...
A TO Z - November 5, 2009
The first and last letters of the alphabet. But the expression, "A to Z," is not only about first and last, but also about all in between.  I am ....
APOCALYPSE - November 4, 2009
Ever play peek with a toddler? Hide the ball...
BUILDING - November 3, 2009
The Law of Entropy says things fall apart if left to themselves. Discipleship is not immune to entropy. Discipleship is about intentional building.  But...
PRESUMPTOUS GRACE - November 2, 2009
What makes the gospel good news surely in the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Grace, umerited favor, showered upon us. Surely, this is the good news. But...
ESTABLISHED - October 30, 2009
I think most of us go through a time when we try to "find ourselves." I know quite a few who never do. It's not... 
TONY D - October 29, 2009
I read a number of books about leadership. Tony Dungy's, Quiet Strength, is his story as a National Football League coach. He's not your cookie cutter coach; he doesn't fit the stereotype. May I scandalize none ...
EVERYONE HAS HEARD ABOUT... - October 28, 2009
What do you want to be known for? What do people value us for? What is impressive?
GREETING - October 27, 2009
When we see the word, "Greetings" at the beginning of a letter, it's hardly pondered. It's really little more than a casual "hi," or "howdy." And then we get to the important stuff.
REFRESH - October 26, 2009
These fall breezes coming in the evening and morning...they brush my face, and I'm refreshed. It's life-giving. Yet I...
CHRISTOCENTRIC - October 23, 2009
Christian. It's not by accident that we are known by the word, "Christian." We are centered on the person of Jesus, the   Christ.  Yet...
ALONE - October 22, 2009
Have you ever felt frustrated or disillusioned? What worked like a charm yesterday, just isn't working today? Been there?
JUST AS - October 21, 2009
Much of Christian discipleship, or being a Christ-follower, is in the nature of a simile. It often uses the word, "AS."
SCRAPPER - October 20, 2009
My sinful nature leads me to jump into any potential argument. The least disagreement with you and I'll pounce on it to correct you. I'm a scrapper, by nature.
JUDGE - October 19, 2009
"You're so judgmental!" We live in a world that speaks against judgmentalism, yet I think we're still a pretty judgmental bunch.
WAKE UP - October 16, 2009
Sometimes we get so immersed in our daily grind that we miss what's going on, or struggle to connect what we're doing with our faith in Christ.  And do this...
TURN AROUND - October 15, 2009
I've had the privilege of knowing some corporate execs who were known as...
DEBTOR WE BE - October 14, 2009
You're always in debt, and always will be. If you are a Christ-follower, it's true.  Let no debt...
THE MAN - October 13, 2009
First, I beg your pardon for the sexism in this title, but...
NOT WHAT, BUT HOW - October 12, 2009
We spend a great deal of concern, energy, and passion on what we do. Be...
LIVING HERE - October 12, 2009
"The gospel does well in the real world," says my teacher, Earl Palmer. Meaning the message of Christ...
JOB DESCRIPTION - October 8, 2009
In the work place, often people work with particular job descriptions. This is true as disciples of Christ within the church, the Body of Christ, as well.  We have different...
GOD'S WILL - October 7, 2009
Frequently I hear people asking how to discover God's will. It's not like peering into a crystal ball. Do not...
TRUE WORSHIP - October 6, 2009
Why are you a Christian? Is it pragmatics? Meaning, it makes your life better? Or...
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN - October 5, 2009
I am a student of history. There is great value in learning from those who preceded us. I've been into...
HUMILITY - October 2, 2009
We are a people taught to be self-sufficient, to fix our problems, to "get 'er done." We are so self-sufficient that we risk losing a healthy perspective on our God.  Who has known...
TWO-SIDED COIN - October 1, 2009
The common expression goes, "like two sides of a coin." The yin and yang, the push and the pull. Opposing polarities. Reality often comes to us in pairs. Consider therefore...
GRACE & RESPONSIBILITY - September 30, 2009
No doubt the Letter to the Romans holds it high place of authority and influence due to its great breadth and depth teaching; its definition of the Christian faith. Romans tackles issues...
TWEET CHRIST - September 29, 2009
The Apostle Paul knew nothing of Twitter, but he was always tweeting Jesus Christ, even though he did not know it by such a term.  Consequently, ...
EPISTEMOLOGY - September 28, 2009
The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer taught me the word: epistemology. In short, how do you know what you know?  But what...
BUT - September 25, 2009
On some occasions in our world today, we live in a gracious and low expectation culture. This is especially true of a person's relationship with God.  Brothers and sisters...
BERRIES - September 24, 2009
The other day my grandson sat in his high chair as his grandmother fed him the red raspberries that he feasted upon. He ate 'em all! He did it without a thought. He simply enjoyed...
TWO THINGS - September 23, 2009
Lord, have mercy, I enjoyed the movie about a guy who wanted to play football at a university in South Bend, Indiana, "Rudy." When the hero, Rudy, visited the priest ...
CONNECTED - September 22, 2009
Ever feel like you're not much of a Christian? "Surely, if I'm a Christian, it would feel different than this....
ADOPTION IDENTITY - September 21, 2009
Remember, as Christ-followers, we are adopted into the family of God. We are children of God.  If God...
ALL THINGS - September 18, 2009
How can cancer be good? Abandonment good? Hatred? A co-ed's murder on the eve of her wedding? This is good?  As we know...
GROAN - September 17, 2009
Have you ever been so confused, so stuck in your relationship with God, you didn't know what to say, how to say it? Oh, you had ...
ADOPTED - September 16, 2009
With shame I say, the way I lived when I was in my fraternity house was not the way I lived when I was at home.  The Spirit you received...
MIND SET - September 15, 2009
When I was a boy, about this time of year, the Sear's "Wishbook" came to our house. With that catalogue in hand, I spent hours compiling my Christmas Wish List--my mind was set upon all the gifts my family was surely going to give me in just a few months.
RESCUE ME - September 11, 2009
Fontella Bass had a hit forty years ago: "Rescue me...and I'm blue I need you."  The cry...
FRUIT - September 9, 2009
Being in Christ, changes just about everything. Paul tries to teach us so.
SLAVES - September 8, 2009
Bob Dylan sang, "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."  Don't you know...
LICENSE TO SIN - September 7, 2009
What shall we say, then? Shall we do on sinning so that grace may increase?" (Romans 6:1).  In the same way...
UN-EDEN - September 4, 2009
The Garden of Eden is the symbol of life at its best, perfection. Yet the biblical reality is that Eden experienced the first corruption, and was tainted. Adam wrecked it.
PRIOR - September 3, 2009
"Prior"--it makes all the difference in the world and in our lives. Yet many of us think of the Christian faith as "post."  But God...
ON ACCOUNT - September 2, 2009
Paul's Letter to the Romans actually is sort of a treatise on theological bookkeeping.  Yet he did not...
PAYCHECK RELIGION - September 1, 2009
Due to a lifetime of reinforcement, many of us think our religious beliefs conform to the way the rest of our lives function. Do a deed, get paid accordingly.  Abraham believed...
BUT NOW - August 31, 2009
In our lives occasionally we come to a fork in the road, and end up going in an entirely new direction, one that changes everything.  This righteousness is...
RELATIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS - August 28, 2009
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ only is good news, only makes sense, in light of...
HEART JEW - August 27, 2009
"Jew." When I ponder that word it brings to mind ...
PRESUMPTION - August 26, 2009
When the Apostle Paul writes his masterpiece Letter to the Romans...
ENJOY LIFE, ENJOY GOD, BUT... - August 25, 2009
My goal for Enjoy Life, Enjoy God is to give its readers, most of you Christ-followers, a word from our God to be an uplift, an encouragement, or a loving and substantive boot in the seat. But ...
THE FAITH - August 24, 2009
"Keep the faith, baby!" went the chant of the 1960s. "What faith?" I answer. Is it faith that you can't see a vampire's reflection in a mirror? Is it faith that this is the year the Cubs...
TO SEE YOU - August 21, 2009
Incarnation--it's such a central word in our Christian faith. "In the flesh"--Our e-world: email, Twitter, Skype, Facebook, Internet-really it's great! But no substitute for seeing one another face to face.
JESUS - August 20, 2009
Turning to the Letter to the Romans, it's obvious in just a moment, it's all about Jesus.  Through him we received...
ZELOPHEHAD - August 19, 2009
Is it a coincidence that I write about marriage on my wedding anniversary? Romance, falling in love is the primary means that people discover the person they will marry these days in the "West."  Moses gave this order...
CITY OF REFUGE - August 18, 2009
When something terrible happens, with malice or by accident, it is good to have a place where cooler minds can take over, and everyone can catch their breath, and clear their minds.  Six of the towns...
BAD NEWS - GOOD NEWS - August 17, 2009
I've got some bad news for us, and some good news.  Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps....
PROMISE - August 14, 2009
The book of Numbers closes with a series of instructions on daily living, how to live in community. Even something so simple was what does it mean to make a promise, to take a vow.  Moses said...
CLEAN SLATE - August 13, 2009
Above reproach. It means that there are no charges that can be brought against you. You have a clean slate.  At this the administrators and satraps...
OFFERING - August 12, 2009
Christians are called to be Christ-centered. Yet in a world of self-fulfillment, that can be a tough commitment to honor.  In this way...
WRITING ON THE WALL - August 11, 2009
"Writing on the wall"--the expression is one of pending doom, or something ominous ahead.  Suddenly the fingers...
LAY YOUR HAND - August 10, 2009
We use the expression, "pat on the back," "Let's give 'em a hand," "helping hand"--the role of touch, literally and symbolically goes unnoticed.  So the Lord said...
WHO'S GOD - August 7, 2009
In the great football and growing up movie, "Rudy," he consults with a priest, who tells Rudy: "God is god, and I'm not." The priest is not the only one who needs to grapple with this truth.  The decision is...
SAVIOR & LORD - August 6, 2009
When people come to faith it is common to hear, "Jesus is my savior." Hallelujah. Yet it's a "package deal."  "If you...
Sweet Nothings - August 5, 2009
To whisper sweet nothings is to speak loving bits to one we love. Sweet nothings are telling another things they want and are eager to hear.  "Well, I have come...
LOOKING AT A STICK - August 3, 2009
The faith of Christ is sometimes at risk of turning into a magic act, a trite ritual, or a mechanical superstition. When we pray for a parking place, or that our Little League team will crush the enemy--beware. But there's more important situations than these.  The Lord said to...
PERILS OF LEADERSHIP - July 31, 2009
Many of us aspire to leadership. Yet a caution. You can "get it" both ways.  But the Lord says to Moses and Aaron...  

HYSSOP - July 30, 2009
Hyssop is an woody plant from which an herb was used for various purposes. A branch of it was used in the liturgy of the people of God.  Then Eleazar...  
 
PLEASING AROMA - July 29, 2009
I love the smell of basil stirred into a saute just finishing a dish I cooked. Or I top off a mushroom risotto with parmigiano reggiano and butter, and pour it out onto a hot platter. That is a heavenly whiff.  This will be...
HOPE GIVER - July 28, 2009
Skeptics, cynics, doomsayers abound, today, and yesterday. Sometimes with good reason they easily capture our attention. But genuine realists, are one thing, but harbingers of doom...not much use.  These men...
INVENTORY - July 27, 2009
We all know about the glass half-full or half-empty. And every now and then, we stop to take inventory and see how things are shaping up. Now, they gave Moses...
D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T - July 24, 2009
Aretha crunched the rock/soul classic, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Rodney Dangerfield made a comedy career with his trademark, "I get no respect." And it becomes a problem for Moses...and others.  Now Miriam and Aaron...
A HUMAN LESSON - July 23, 2009
I like chocolate-iced cake donuts. Two of them and a cup of coffee. But that's not all I have to eat, if it were, well...
"I" - July 22, 2009
Christians need beware of "I." To be a Christian is to be Christ-centered. However, "I" seems all so common.  "HE" must become...  

TRUMPET - July 21, 2009
I lived in a little town with a community siren. It spoke of a fire in the community, of tornadoes coming, that it was noon, and bedtime curfew. It was a siren of warning, and community.  The Lord said to Moses...
GPS - July 20, 2009
One of the functions of a GPS, a global positioning system, is to guide us on our journey. In Christ, could it be that we have a different GPS?  On day the of the tabernacle...
PEOPLE TITHE - July 17, 2009
Numbers records the ordering of the tribes of Israel. Yeah...it can be a bit...how do I put it? Dry! Yet even in this organization of the people of God we see a design, maybe even a future.  After that...
DEM BONES - July 16, 2009
"Dry Bones"--the old spiritual--"dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones...the toe bone connected to the foot bone." It was a song about the Word of God in Ezekiel 37. Then he said to me...
NO SACRIFICES - July 15, 2009
We religious people are in the habit of ritual, religious acts, as if God is in need of our ritual, our religious observances. When Moses...
HEARTS OF FLESH - July 14, 2009
"Heart" is an important biblical word. Usually it has nothing to do with the pump for our blood; almost always it's the symbol of who we are as human beings. Heart=the person.  For I will...
BLESSING - July 13, 2009
We say, "I've been blessed," or, "What a blessing!" but what are we saying?
GOOD SHEPHERD - July 10, 2009
My son's two Australian shepherds are with us for a week. Whoa! Smart dogs. Trained to gather, protect, keep together, move toward a goal.
TURN AND LIVE - July 9, 2009
"Flash Flood! Bridge out, road closed." Yet the person went around the barrier in the storm and was washed down the torrent of flood waters.
ORGANIZATIONAL OBEDIENCE - July 8, 2009
Parents know what it's like to get the outward forms of obedience, yet still perceive their child's heart really does not get it; they have yet to obey in their heart and mind.  
 
YOU - July 7, 2009
We are such a "doing" people. No surprise when we find ourselves as the center of attention, thinking that we are responsible for everything, even our happiness and joy.
FEARING THE DAY TO COME - July 6, 2009
Sometimes we awaken to the day with dread. On the docket is some foreboding task, or confrontation.  
 
CASUAL WORSHIP - July 3, 2009
Oh, how the world has changed, and in many ways for the better. My parents still get dressed up to fly on the airlines. "Casual Friday" in the workplace has become casual months. We're so casual, we're casual about God, casual about worship. Churches advertise, "casual worship services."  
 
BENEDICTION - July 1, 2009
"Benediction": bene=good, diction=saying. A good saying. But it's so much more....
LEADER JOY - June 30, 2009
Somehow Moses became the leader of the people of God--skills, call, ambition, God's will. But in doing so, he got the people of God. They wanted a leader, yes. But from then on, they found fault, and ...were a pain in the neck!
SACRIFICE - June 29, 2009
One understanding of sacrifice is the giving up of something, like a fatted calf. While the sacrifice we speak of is related to this, a losing of something, that's not the focus here.
BIOGRAPHY - June 26, 2009
Reading good biography is a great discipline, and a substantive encouragement. I've spoken of biography many times.
PURITY - June 25, 2009
When is the last time you used the word "purity?" Of what were you speaking? Bottled water, gold? Were you talking about your life, the way you live?
HOSPITALITY - June 24, 2009
Sorry, and I don't intend to pick on Martha Stewart, but entertaining, table setting, having your house look like a magazine cover may have nothing to do with hospitality. And I suspect much that passes for table settings in such magazine covers is more about pretense than hospitality.
WORSHIP - June 23, 2009
Knowing God leads to worship.
A BETTER WORD - June 22, 2009
I'm convinced that today is not all that different than yesterday, and yesterday two thousand years ago, at least in certain respects. The joys and sorrows of today are much the same as yesterday, and tomorrow for that matter.
ESAU - June 19, 2009
Genesis 27 tells the story of Jacob and Esau, an ugly one at that. Cheating deception, neither fellow is one to take home to introduce to mom and dad. Esau sells his inheritance rights for a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese.
TOO LATE - June 18, 2009
"Any time now, Lord, would be fine. I'm coming up against the deadline, please help, Jesus, or it's going to be too late."
LIFE LESSONS - June 17, 2009
When times are tough it is natural, and common to ask, "Why is God punishing me?" In general I urge us to approach our tough times differently.
WAVERING - June 16, 2009
It's a common theme of the Bible, and discipleship, even Mother Teresa wrote of it: Wavering in the faith when God disappears.
WHAT TO DO WITH FAITH? - June 15, 2009
The last several days, we've spoken of faith, and a host of inspiring witnesses of faith. So what?
PRAYER - June 12, 2009
How to pray seems to be a chronic issue for God's people. Even Jesus' followers ask him, "Lord, teach us to pray.
HALL OF FAME - June 11, 2009
Halls of Fame color our landscape: baseball, football, college alums, there's a hall of fame, I believe, for ice cream dippers at Baskin-Robbins.
FEAR NO KING - June 10, 2009
Fear usually is a learned behavior. We grant fear, we cede power, to the object feared. My house dog, our collie, is not afraid when I shake my fist at her. She trusts me, she knows I've never hit her, and trusts me that I never will.
SALT - June 9, 2009
I love pepperoni. I love lots of pepperoni. Sometimes I get double pepperoni on our Friday night pizza. Then I awaken desiccated about three in the morning, desperately thirsty for water.
NOT QUITE HOME - June 8, 2009
Where we are today may be great, meaningful, comfortable, but the truth is, it's still not quite home. Not all is well, even if all is pretty good.
FROM A DISTANCE - June 5, 2009
We continue our pondering "faith." Just what is it, and how does it lift our lives today?
FAITH - June 4, 2009
Faith is a much-used word. "You have to have faith," we hear often said. But faith in what?
AH...THE MATTER OF SIN - June 3, 2009
Yes, we sin, and go on sinning, in Christ. How can that be? How should that be?
SPURS - June 2, 2009
I'm not a horseman, but I'm a little familiar with spurs. Riders often wear spurs to guide the horse, to control the horse.
RITUAL vs WILL - June 1, 2009
When my children were young, I remember saying, "I don't want your apologies, I want your obedience." What I meant was sometimes when they'd apologize they were merely going through the motions, "I'm sorry, daddy." I was less concerned about their words than I was their spirits.
BLOOD - May 29, 2009
We don't speak much about blood these days. The only times we mention it is when we call for a bandage, or the Blood Center asks for a donation. We're squeamish, I think, to dabble much in blood talk.
OFFERING - May 28, 2009
In Israel, the priests made various offerings in behalf of the people to seek God's favor, and to ask God's forgiveness for the people's sins.
NEW COVENANT - May 27, 2009
God made a promise with the Israelites, a covenant. They agreed. However they were not good covenant-keepers.
MELCHIZEDEK - May 26, 2009
A priest is a go-between. In other words, priests go-between parties separated to keep them in contact, in communication with one another.
HOPE ANCHOR - May 25, 2009
A few years ago a couple of my minister-buddies and I rented a houseboat for a couple days, and we sailed on a nearby lake. It was great!
GROW UP --2 - May 22, 2009
The goal of Christian discipleship is not so much about our spiritual well-being or personal fulfillment, but serving Christ, and personal maturity, completeness.
GROW UP - May 21, 2009
One of the central themes of being a Christian, of discipleship, is maturity, our faith, our person growing to Christ-likeness, not just getting older.
TOUGH TIME LEARNING - May 20, 2009
When are we the best students, when are we the most teachable?
SING & SHOUT - May 19, 2009
I don't know much about European soccer or "football," but during one of those great matches, I do love to hear the thousands of fans shouting, singing song after song for their heroes: Real Madrid, Arsenal, whomever.
CONFIDENCE - May 18, 2009
A young child is confident of their parent's care and love. Sadly on occasion that confidence is crushed by the parent's failures. Yet in their nature, a child trusts the parent's care and love will be there.
REST AND WORD - May 15, 2009
Sometimes our favorite passages in the Bible surprise us because what they are talking about gets disconnected from the context. For example, the often-used "Love is patient, love is kind" passage from 1 Corinthians 13 is not talking about love and marriage, but love within the church, and how to get along. Here's another example.
DAILY - May 14, 2009
Do you suffer from ADD or ADHD, or short attention span? Beware.
CHRIST-IAN - May 13, 2009
People who believe Jesus is their Savior and Lord, and believe him to be the son of God, have been known by a number of names: those of the Way, Nazarenes, and surely, Christian.
A PRIEST - May 12, 2009
A priest is a go-between, one who intercedes between two different parties, in this case, between we humans and God.
GIMME - May 11, 2009
In The Rules of Golf during match play competition, if your opponent concedes your putt, you must accept your opponent's generosity, or something to that effect. It's a gimme.
BUT - May 8, 2009
We humans often are searching for God, longing for God to say a word, to interrupt the tedium. But...
IMITATORS - May 7, 2009
Imitations are not the real thing, we even call them fake. However...
HOSPITALITY - May 6, 2009
One of the terms that mark our relationship with fellow believers in Christ is hospitality. Even amongst strangers, yet Christians.
SOUL CARE - May 5, 2009
C.S. Lewis said, "We humans do not have souls; we are souls." It's not an organ, or a body part, but our being. Yet we often continue to live part by part.
THE PRESENT OF PRESENCE - May 4, 2009
Do you remember, not all that long ago, when the telephone companies urged us to reach out and touch somebody? Just call someone long distance was their point, if I recall.
DRAW CLOSELY - May 2, 2009
Why is it that something called, "Christianity," and something called "Christian" comes back repeatedly to someone called "Christ?"
 
TRUTH - LOVE - April 30, 2009
Sometimes we use truth like a hammer. Sometimes we turn love into a syrupy whim, a vapid sentiment. They go hand in hand, however.  
 
BEING IN - April 29, 2009
People are seeking God. We hear much talk of a soul-hunger, a spiritual longing. To be sure, many people choose many different paths to attempt to assuage that hunger. But...
PRAY FOR THEM - April 28, 2009
It's a good thing to pray for one another. It's part of community to pray for healing, for people struggling with troublesome times. Yet other aspects of prayer, we sometimes overlook.  
 
CONFIDENCE IN GOD - April 27, 2009
John's letter speaks with few grey areas. So when he brings up the topic of confidence, he goes for jugular.
LOVE A FEELING? - April 23, 2009
Of course it's a feeling! Anyone who's ever loved knows this obvious truth. But there's more.
A GUTSY PRAYER - April 22, 2009
Ever examine the substance of your prayers? Prayer for help in circumstances--health, job, family, relationships, etc. Nothing wrong with these. However...
SEEING GOD - April 21, 2009
Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus in blinding light on a road in Syria. Moses encounters God in a burning bush and is warned not to look on God's presence.
DUALISM? - April 20, 2009
Good cop, bad cop, up and down, light and darkness, good god and bad god, good versus evil. Ancient philosophy and religion speak of dualism, or often equal but opposite forces. 
 
ALMOST SLIPPED - April 17, 2009
 I assume if you are reading this today, as you've probably read it sometimes in the past, that you have made some sort of commitment to be a Christ-follower, a Christian, a disciple. That assumed, then...  
 
LOVE DEFINED - April 16, 2009
"What's love got to do with it?" lamented Tina Turner. "What's love but a second hand emotion?" Tina was right on, at least in part. But there's more to it, love, that is.
CLEAN UP OUR ACT - April 15, 2009
 Forgiveness is a central joy of the good news of faith in Christ. Still there is a call, like Jesus told the woman in John 8, "Go and sin no more."
CHRIST-CENTERED - April 14, 2009
In an increasingly tolerant, diverse culture, it is required that "You do god your way, I'll do god my way." Even Christians are buying it.
IN/OF - April 13, 2009
God made a wonderful world in which to dwell. Yet in that same world can be blessing and curse.  
 
I WRITE TO YOU - April 10, 2009
Letters, emails, even twitter--it comes to us for a purpose. When John wrote his letter he had a purpose, and it includes you and me.
IN/AS - April 9, 2009
To be a Christian is to be forgiven, yes! Yet forgiveness inspires us to changed lives.
LIGHT WALKING - April 8, 2009
Luke Skywalker. Aside from the fictional character in the Star Wars series, and that was his father's name, I do not know what sky-walking means. But...
JOY ACCOMPLISHED - April 7, 2009
Holy Week comes to fulfillment in the triumph of resurrection--no greater joy! Yet how to get there?
THE END - April 6, 2009
Having read the Book of Ecclesiastes, what is one to do with the Preacher's oft-spoken words, everything is meaningless, life is little more than "a chasing after the wind?"
GRACE AND GRACIOUS - April 3, 2009
One of the joys of the gospel is the grace given us through faith in Christ. Yet with grace received also comes, perhaps, an equal an opposite reaction, or responsibility.
A NAME - April 2, 2009
When Dorothy comes to Oz, and word is made of the Wizard, the music turns reverent, and all the citizens speak with awe, and an almost divine presence causes the people to bow down, just at the mention of a name!  
 
CRAZY WORLD - April 1, 2009
Ecclesiastes points out to us the absurdity of much of the world, and the way we get caught up in our lives. The cycle of life is work, toil, prosper--times are good, then times are bad, and it goes on and on. Wicked flourish, righteous get kicked in the teeth. Crazy!
 
WHEN GOD DISAPPEARS - March 31, 2009
The great affirmations of faith in the face of adversity and trying times summon us to renewed courage, and triumphant hope: "Praise be the the Lord my Rock...he is my stronghold." But what about times when those cries seemingly go unanswered?
FEAR GOD - March 30, 2009
To fear God--not a common topic these days, and I'm not sure how well-received the thought would be by Christians, let alone, non-believers.
WOODY ALLEN - March 27, 2009
I like his movies, overall, he's thoughtful. Actually, Woody has some in common with Ecclesiastes.
WORDS - March 26, 2009
We speak words casually in our world this day. We swim in an ocean of words. Words come to our ears in a flood, and out of our mouth almost like exhaling.
HOLD ON - March 25, 2009
When times are good, we seldom ask, "What am I going to do?" Yet when times are tough, we caught in a fix, we look inside and mutter, "What am I gonna do?"
THE BYRDS - March 24, 2009
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Yes, it was Roger McGuinn (David Crosby for a while) and The Byrds who took the Pete Seeger song and made it a hit. But the folk singer, Seeger, must have been reading his Bible; he took it from Ecclesiastes 3.
CHASING THE WIND - March 23, 2009
Is it wisdom? Is it pleasure? Is it toil? Maybe it doesn't matter
A CYNIC SPEAKS - March 20, 2009
To be jaded, cynical, critical and undercutting everything...it's become the modern way. But what is the role of cynicism in the Christ-follower's life?
THE END? - March 19, 2009
At the end of the movie or a book, a story, we see the words, of think the words, "The End." But sometimes it's not, it's not the end.
INCARNATIONAL PEACE - March 18, 2009
People are always looking for some kind of peace. Interesting is that one of the promises of the good news of Jesus Christ is peace.
HEARTBURN - March 17, 2009
Acid reflux? No. A stirring in the gut, a deepening passion, a compelling motivation? Yes. That's heartburn.
THEY REMEMBERED HIS WORDS - March 16, 2009
As I reread the gospel story, it occurs to me the significance of the word, "remember," and how many times remembrance is part of the story.  
REMEMBER ME - March 12, 2009
Please don't call Child & Protective Services, but many years ago, we forgot one of our kids at a store. But we did finally remember.
THE CROSS CARRIER - March 11, 2009
How did you come to run into Jesus? Your parents take you to church? Heard about him just by living in a largely Christian country? It was what everyone was doing?
BARABBAS--WHERE THE ACTION IS - March 10, 2009
I bet we think we're not followers. But how many of our decisions are based on what's trendy, where people are flocking to, where the action is?
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" - March 9, 2009
But I'm convinced we can!  "You can't handle the truth."  The great line from "A Few Good Men," the courtroom drama where Tom Cruise, prosecutor, grills Jack Nicholson, the defendant.  And the defendant fights back with this classic protest.
ROOSTER'S CROW - March 6, 2009
"Cock-adoodle-do." Kind of a funny sounding word, but in a disciple's mind, a bit haunting.
 
REPITITION - March 5, 2009
When my mom wanted to catch my attention, she'd repeat herself. "Listen, Listen to me." That meant I better obey her. Repetition.
 
INCARNATION INDEED! - March 4, 2009
Christians sometimes hear the word, "incarnation," in the flesh. That Jesus is Immanuel, God in the flesh. How true, how so.
 
JEREMIAH'S GRIPE - March 3, 2009
As Jeremiah bears his message: a call to repentance and a call to faith, he finally gets his belly full and cries out to God; he gripes. He doesn't understand how people faithful to God have it so hard, and the wicked prosper. He grumbles that faithfulness doesn't seem very popular, yet the unfaithful get all the breaks.
 
ALL - March 2, 2009
"I gave it 110%."
"She gave everything she had."
"He left nothing in the bag."