I have a friend who pretty much believes that even when Brant Hansen breathes it is funny. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but in truth, Brant is funny and I am grateful to my friend who 'introduced' me to Hansen several years ago. (To be sure, Brant doesn't know me, didn't ask me to… Continue reading Book Review: Unoffendable
Tag: Christians
Renewing the Mind, Lenten Reflections #4
Another of my theme verses during this Lenten season is Romans 12:1-2. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and please to God–this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing… Continue reading Renewing the Mind, Lenten Reflections #4
Sometimes Christians are Just Terrible People
Jesus said a lot of things that we are aware of. Jesus said a lot of things we are not aware of. John tells us the whole world doesn't have enough books to contain all that Jesus said and did. I'm not surprised; although, I'd certainly like to have a little more. We like to… Continue reading Sometimes Christians are Just Terrible People
Things that Make Jesus Happy
I grew up believing the untenable notion that Jesus never smiled or laughed. I'm not sure why I believed such a thing. I suppose it's perhaps because there's no explicit statement in the Bible that says, "And on that occasion, Jesus laughed." But surely Jesus laughed, right? Surely this one who gives his Spirit to… Continue reading Things that Make Jesus Happy
Some Things Christians Can do Better
I've been thinking about my relationship with the church recently–especially as I get ready to move back to an area where I will be able to actually participate more fully in the local church. My relationship with the church has been sour for the past several years given the nature of the way my previous… Continue reading Some Things Christians Can do Better
What if Jesus Treated us the Way we Treat Immigrants?
Perhaps some of you will find this short note a bit unpalatable and un-American. I hope you find it both. I have a lot of different kinds of FB friends, liberals & conservatives, christians & humanists, atheists & theists, men & women, and so on. What continues to amaze me is that it is my… Continue reading What if Jesus Treated us the Way we Treat Immigrants?
Book Review: The Global War on Christians
Title: The Global War on Christians Author: John L. Allen jr. Publisher: Crown Publishing Pages: 308 (including postscript and index) Date: 2013 [Disclaimer: To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, please mention as part of every review that Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book… Continue reading Book Review: The Global War on Christians
DA Carson on What Destroys the Church
This is from Carson’s book The Cross and the Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians. The ways of destroying the church are many and colorful. Raw factionalism will do it. Rank heresy will do it. Taking your eyes off the cross and letter other, more peripheral matters dominate the agenda will do it–admittedly more… Continue reading DA Carson on What Destroys the Church
Jesus, the World, and Us
Friends, This is a sermon I preached from John 17:6-19 on May 24, 2009. My congregation has been going through some tough times lately and this sermon was a great way to put those issues in perspective. The battle we wage is not against the flesh; Jesus prayed for and prepared us for the battle… Continue reading Jesus, the World, and Us
Negative and Positive Blogging
I was recently reminded of a short but important blog post over at Boar’s Head Tavern. It’s an older post from January, written by Paul McCain, but it is still worth reading: Satan is a master of a thousand arts when it comes to pulling us away from Christ. I was just working on some… Continue reading Negative and Positive Blogging
Skycast: Resurrected Jesus among the Churches
Friends, Here is episode #2 of the Rain and Snow Skycast. In this episode, I finish my exploration of Revelation 1 by studying with you verses 9-21. I also included a book review of NT Wright’s book Surprised By Hope. I close the Skycast by talking about God’s grace and how the modern manifestation of… Continue reading Skycast: Resurrected Jesus among the Churches
Eugene Peterson on the Word
Friends, Here’s a quote from Eugene Peterson’s book on the Revelation Reversed Thunder: The subtlest and most common attack in the satanic assault on God’s ways among us is a subversion of the word. This subversion unobtrusively disengages our imagination from God’s word and gets us to think of it as something wonderful in print,… Continue reading Eugene Peterson on the Word
Plundering God: Isaiah 3:1-4:1
 Isaiah 3:1-4:1 For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; (2) the mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder; (3) the captain… Continue reading Plundering God: Isaiah 3:1-4:1
About Bees (November 12, 2004)
Friends, I had another blog one time where I wrote some short devotionals for my congregation here in Madison. I came across them the other day and, well, here is one of them. I have preserved my original thoughts and language so they might appear a bit strange. _______________________ I mentioned that I have been… Continue reading About Bees (November 12, 2004)
DA Carson on: The Fate of the World
Friends, Carson is one of my favorite authors and I read as much of his stuff as I can find. I happened to come across this in his commentary on Matthew in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p 520 commenting on Matthew 25: The fate of the nations will be determined by how they respond to… Continue reading DA Carson on: The Fate of the World
Life Under the Blue Sky: The View From Below 