The older I get, the less excited I am about theory . . . and the more I care about reality. Who cares if the stuff that flows from my pen stimulates the intellect and gives folks fodder for philosophizing? So what if these words tickle ears and answer questions nobody is asking? Provocative, relevant, […]
Read MoreTag Archives: John
Greener-Grass Syndrome
“We were just platonic friends when he added me as a friend on Facebook. A month later, I decided to leave my husband and children for him. After all, I was so unhappy in my marriage. Shouldn’t I be with someone who makes me happy?” Sound familiar? If not, it will, as more and more […]
Read MoreAwake beyond the Grave: What the Bible Says about Soul Sleep
Death raises many questions: When will it happen? What will it be like? What is the soul’s destiny? Chuck Swindoll addresses that last question in Growing Deep in the Christian Life: When the believer dies, the body goes into the grave; the soul and spirit go immediately to be with the Lord Jesus awaiting the […]
Read MoreOur Tragedy, God’s Glory
Like the biblical accounts of the blind man in John 9 and the death of Lazarus in John 11, what may seem to us a tragedy is part of God’s eternal plan to bring glory to Him. Some 21 years ago, my son and daughter-in-law became the parents of identical twin boys named David and […]
Read MoreDid Constantine Declare Jesus to Be “God” in AD 325?
The Da Vinci Code is not alone in claiming that in the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine changed Christianity to further his political agenda. Historians or false teachers who deny Christ’s deity sometimes suggest this event as a possibility. The truth is, Christians regarded Jesus as both God and man from the very beginning. In […]
Read MoreMind Over Matter: The Heresy of Gnosticism both Then and Now
Take this simple true or false quiz. Ready? Prayer is more important than mowing your widowed grandmother’s lawn. Sharing the gospel is more important than taking a meal to a new mother and father just home from the hospital. Doing “sacred” work, such as preaching or being a missionary, is more important than “secular” work, […]
Read MoreDid a Unified Church Develop from Diversity and Conflict?
Some modern historians and theologians propose that the early church was characterized by “radical diversity.” They argue that we cannot legitimately speak of a unified “Christianity” during that time, but rather, that the early church consisted of competing “Christianities.” Having denied the reality of the resurrection, these scholars are faced with explaining how Christianity developed […]
Read MoreHow to Recognise a Healthy Church
Are you looking for a church? Just any church? Or a truly healthy one? Perhaps you’ve moved and are unfamiliar with the area. Or you could be a new Christian in need of a place to worship. Or maybe rather than look for a new church, you want to learn how to breathe new life […]
Read MoreWhat to Do When A Leader Falls
God’s work is sacred. So when a person engaged in ministry repeatedly defies God’s high and holy standards, that individual is to be removed. The apostle Paul’s judgment and command are uncompromising. The very reason God’s work is holy is because He is holy. Those who minister will never do so without some failures, because […]
Read MoreGrowing Closer to God: Celebrating Jesus
We began our journey this year with the goal of growing closer to God by modeling Jesus’s life and character in the world around us. This month, we celebrate Jesus and the access to God we have through Him. Eugene Peterson’s The Message describes Jesus’s incarnation in this refreshing way: The Word became flesh and […]
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