Jesus: Head and Foot

Jesus: Head and Foot. What do we do when stories from different parts of the Bible don't agree?

Don't Put God First

. . . . . . Among believers there is general agreement that God is ultimate. But we have to be careful how we express it. Our words convict us. One pastor put it like this: The bottom line is that we are to put spiritual values above temporal values. Serving God and being obedient …

Burning Books and Blowing Out Candles

I heard a story in one of Leonard Sweet's Napkin Scribbles this week about  Tommy Lasorda's Hall of Fame induction speech in 1997 when he tells this story: Let me tell you how bad I wanted to win a few years ago we went into Cincinnati to play a big 3-game series against the Big …

Clarifying the Gospel Part 1

I have been off writing for quite a while now; thanks to all my peeps that have been encouraging me to get back to it. School is now done so I am back in the saddle.  I want to tackle something big and rather than write an epistle that will take three hours to read …

The Kingdom of God Breaking Out Everywhere

I don't know if it's the Seasonal Affective Disorder letting up, or me finally getting over a cold that has lingered for the past few weeks but I am finally starting to feel myself.  I was doing some research for school and was touched by a picture book illustrated by Canadian artist William Kurelek called …

We Make Promises, (And Promises Make Us)

In Mark 14: 66 - 72 Peter denies Jesus, and breaks a promise made to Jesus made earlier in the chapter. Peter had boldly proclaimed that he loved Jesus more than any of these other disciples and Jesus replied that before dawn he would deny that he even knew Him. Our identities are formed by …

A Standard of Excellence

The Winter Olympics are under way and preachers everywhere are going to be looking for sermon illustrations .  Not me!  At least not yet, but... Watching the competition this afternoon I am struck by the analogy: Your best effort decides your fate, not your worst. In 5000m long track speed skating you skate one race …

To Taser One Must Be Tasered

In the state of Indiana to be qualified to carry a taser you must have a taser used on you. What a fascinating concept!  I think there is some wisdom there.  I would assume that the rule is in place so that people who are using tasers be less flippant about using them, once they understand how …

Learning To Show Compassion

In my first Pastoral Counselling class this week we talked about what it means to be compassionate.  How would you define it? Showing compassion is entering into the suffering of others          - Carrol Wise Compassion is the art of communicating the Gospel to someone at their point of need          - Phil Zylla What surprised me …

It's the Gospel!

In Mark 12 a woman is noticed by Jesus putting two small copper coins into the treasury.  These coins are called a lepton and represent the smallest denomination of currency possible (like throwing in one cent). Jesus says that she has put more into this treasury than all the heavy hitters who have paraded by …