Why do some Christians act so ungraciously? There are many reasons, I suppose, but none of them seem to hold water when we consider that to call ourselves “Christian” is to say we follow Jesus and practice a lifestyle that resembles His example. To say Christianity as a whole and we, as Christians, are under attack would not…

Do you carry water for Jesus? You’ve seen the caution before, haven’t you, that says “Fragile. Handle with Care?” How good are you applying that to your dealings with people . . . .  whether through personal interaction with them or just the formation of your initial opinions? I think some extra decades of life…

The cost of one sin is . . . . ? Who knows? But I suspect we underestimate the impact of our disobedience. I think Adam and Eve might have thought too little of the potential consequences of their sin, don’t you, especially given their perfectly lush living conditions? One might also say that God’s response to…

“You bet your life” . . . . . . We all “bet our lives” whether we know it or not. For those of you “seasoned” enough to remember, this “bet your life” statement might bring back memories of stand-up comedian Groucho Marx and the game show he hosted called “You Bet Your Life.” (No…

Please don’t knock on my door to ask me if I know Jesus.  Gone pretty much are the days of door-to-door salesmen, with the exception, I suppose, of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Our walkways lead to our fortresses, and for mostly reasons of fear strangers are not welcome at our doors. When it comes to methods of reaching people…

Was Jesus a “pig in a poke” for you? What’s a “pig in a poke” you say? It’s a colloquialism to describe buying (or buying into) something without the buyer knowing the true nature or value of what they are getting. For a variety of reasons, that’s how many people begin their life of faith. Perhaps they were nudged or pressured by…

Love God and do as you please? What do you think of such a statement? Outrageous? The first time I heard those words the “scorekeeper” in me rose up to say “No, that is an insult to grace and the cross as well as an invitation to licentiousness! That can’t be right.” This of course,…

Does art really imitate life? In many ways it does. In fact, though we now may not focus so much on what we perceive our needs to be, (especially since finding them met in Christ), we need to remember that people who have yet to follow Christ have those same basic needs and we are not…

How can I make Easter better . . .  for someone else? Let’s start by putting the proverbial “shoe on the other foot.” Pretend you are a guest. You were once. Remember the feel? Awwkwaard. It can be. It’s normal for people to feel a little nervous coming into unfamiliar turf and in the presence of perfect strangers. Well, it…

I’m trying to join a Peewee Baseball team. I’m still not sure if they will count my age against me, but to my defense, my speed and skill level has pretty much degenerated to the level of an 8 year old. A slow 8 year old. Like I was in the day. So, you ask, why…

Is sin a private matter? I’m sure we’d all like it to be but unfortunately, that’s not the case.If King David were to know 3000 years later we’d be reading the record we have at our disposal from 2 Samuel 11 and 12, he might still wince at therecounting of his transgressions. You’d think with the news…

We have a constant tendency to stop remembering the cross . . . . and to start depending on legalism and self-effort to make our way in life. It’s natural, not supernatural as in “God-inspired.” Just natural, reverting to the old pathways which lead us away from God’s transforming embrace instead of towards Him. The cross should…