Recruiting Network: The Church’s Role in God’s Mission

This is the third post in a series on “seekers.” Previous posts have established that Sinners do not seek God naturally (Romans 3:10-11) God seeks and saves sinners (Luke 19:10) The Holy Spirit draws sinners to seek Him (John 3:8) But that does not mean that sinners are automatically converted without being evangelized. That leads to the question this post …

She Lives Beyond the Grave

Soon it will be Bryce’s birthday. That means I’m in party-planning mode. I imagine what it would be like if my wife, Jill, was planning his party. (Jill passed away three months after Bryce was born.) I can see her organizational skills going to work –the “invite list” would have been a mile long and …

Batting Practice and Spiritual Growth

Bryce took a batting lesson last week. I listened carefully so that I could work with him in the days following. The coach was very clear in his instruction and patient in his approach. I knew that one lesson wouldn’t suddenly turn my seven-year-old into a major league slugger. Everyone knows that even the most …

We Love Gay People

Several years ago, I published this article in a denominational paper. Needless to say, it received mixed reviews -some positive, some negative. Nonetheless, I think the issue is just as important as it was then -and certainly more relevant. I look forward to hearing your feedback.   Let’s put this in perspective. Fact: Homosexuality is …

Why Gay Bashing Betrays Christ

I have quite a few friends who are gay. Often, as I scroll through social media, I will stop to read something one of them has posted. I cringe when they re-post and comment on a Christian article condemning homosexuality. My frustration is not over declaring homosexuality is a sin. That is a biblical statement …

Did Jesus Battle Depression?

Did Jesus battle depression? Seems like a strange question at first, but consider Isaiah’s prophesy of the coming Messiah: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). That certainly sounds like someone dealing with the symptoms of depression. So why do we immediately push back at …

Practice Public Prayer

Growing up in Church, I remember questioning the need for public prayer. After all, didn’t Jesus tell us to go into our closets to pray? And what about His critique of the Pharisees who loved to stand and pray loudly for show? It turns out, however, that Jesus is not against public prayers –He’s simply …

It’s OK to Hide

My son can’t figure out how I can find always find him so quickly when we play hide and seek. One day it will occur to him that talking trash while he’s hiding isn’t such a good idea. Interestingly, the concept of hiding has been around at least as far back as Genesis chapter 3. …