The New Year is only one month old, and already the pressures of life have returned. Sixty-hour workweeks. Razor-thin balances in the chequebook every month. Children and/or grandchildren who call for unending, boundless bursts of energy. Sound familiar? As we peer into the pages of the Bible, tucked away toward the end of the Old […]
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Jellyfish Ministry
Recently while in Cuba I walked along a beautiful beach and came upon a jellyfish that had washed ashore. It seems high winds and strong currents had pushed hundreds of them toward the shore with many being cast up on the sand to await death. I bent down and, careful so as to not be […]
Read MoreFast Results
There’s an old proverb that says “it takes a box of salt to make a friend” – you have to share some meals together before you really get to know someone. During my time at Dallas Seminary, I had the privilege of leading several student small groups as a Leadership Fellow. Whenever my groups met, […]
Read MoreWriting from Corinth
As Paul traipsed through the port city of Corinth, his nostrils full of the aromas from exotic spices and his ears catching snippets of conversations in foreign tongues, he likely encountered a diverse array of the people and practices—from gruff sailors and meticulous tradesmen to wealthy idolaters and enslaved Christians. The prominent Roman city provided […]
Read MoreWhy Did God Choose the Middle East?
Christians in the West sometimes find it easy to dismiss the Middle East. Some prefer to direct their ministry resources elsewhere in the world, to places where people have been receiving the gospel with more openness. However, God has made it clear that the Middle East has been and continues to be part of His […]
Read MoreRomans: Cornerstone of Christian Truth
The editors of the New Geneva Study Bible describe the book of Romans as Paul’s fullest, grandest, most comprehensive statement of the gospel. Its compressed declarations of vast truths are like coiled springs—once loosed, they leap through mind and heart to fill one’s horizon and shape one’s life. John Chrysostom, the fifth century’s greatest preacher, […]
Read MoreGiving with Gusto
“When the heart is right, the feet are swift.” That’s the way Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States put it many years ago. There are other ways to say the same thing. A happy spirit takes the grind out of giving. A positive attitude makes sacrifice a pleasure. When the morale is […]
Read MoreThe Only Thing Incapable of Error
Ever since I was knee-high to a gnat, I have been taught and have believed in the infallibility of Scripture. Among the upper echelons of doctrinal truths, this one ranks alongside the Godhead, the deity of Christ, and salvation by grace. We may fuss around with a few of the events in God’s eschatological calendar […]
Read MoreThe Way
All children are unique. However, there are universal truths that apply to all people. We as parents always desire to be sensitive to the unique needs and personalities of our children, but we also want to ensure that they understand the particular, narrow road that all who claim belief in Christ should follow. This road, […]
Read MoreCultivating a Tender Heart and a Tough Hide
For as long as I have been in the ministry I have asked the Lord for a balance between a tender heart and a tough hide. It isn’t an easy balance. In fact, the latter is more difficult to cultivate than the former. In order to be fully engaged in ministry, job number one is […]
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