How Boredom Destroys
When David wrote Psalm 27 he was in awe of the Lord, happy in Him, and found nothing more beautiful than God to capture his heart. I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty […]
He Is Still Alive
Yesterday was awesome. People gathered in churches to celebrate that Jesus is alive, that sin and death no longer claim us. He has saved us, freed us, and one day He will raise us to everlasting life. Many churches saw an increase in attendance yesterday, and though there were a lot of guests, most major […]
Increasing Humility
A clear indication of maturing in Christ is increasing humility. The closer we draw to Him the more we see our need for Him, because the closer we draw to Him the more we grasp His holiness and our sinfulness. Notice the progression of increasing humility in the apostle Paul’s life. For I am the […]
A Pursued and Purchased Prostitute
The story of Hosea and Gomer is a shocking one, but one that reminds us of our sinfulness and God’s enduring love for His people, His bride. Hosea was a prophet who ministered during a very rebellious period in Israel’s history. The people were pursuing other gods, and to confront His people with their idolatry, […]
The Bride Created
As believers in Christ, we are the bride of Christ. When Jesus assured His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2-3), He was using the language of a bridegroom preparing for the marriage. When the apostle Paul challenged men to love their wives, he pointed to the ultimate and […]
Was His Service Poor?
Most of us claim to be pretty good tippers. Certainly there are bad tippers, but it seems very few actually admit to being one. After all, most tend to realize that stinginess reflects poorly on one’s character. So what do you tip when the service is really bad? I mean really bad such as when […]
Facebook Research and Setting Our Minds on Things Above
Late last year, Facebook received criticism for conducting research on Facebook users without their knowledge. Though the methods are definitely questionable, the results are fascinating. Kashmir Hill of Forbes magazine wrote: Facebook’s data scientists manipulated the News Feeds of 689,003 users, removing either all of the positive posts or all of the negative posts to […]
The Beauty of No Shame
When the apostle Paul wrote about marriage, he reminded us of the first couple in Scripture: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. […]
4 Reflections from a Funeral
I have been to several funerals in the last few months including that of a local pastor, a friend from college, and last Wednesday we celebrated my father-in-law’s life and mourned his death. I spoke for a few minutes at the funeral about Mr. Billy as a father, as a man, and as a Christian. […]
Why Can’t We Stop Rejoicing?
A few weeks ago on a flight, I read the lead article in Southwest’s magazine titled “Enough Already: Praise gets heavy. So why can’t we stop?” Heidi Stevens, from the Chicago Tribune, wrote a great and funny piece on the downfalls of “praising our kids too much.” She cites research that shows heaping praise on […]