I will be preaching on the Trinity in Romans this coming Lord’s Day. In 325 Constantinople, modern day Instanbul, was seething with discussion. The buzz in the city was not about a sports team or about an election. People were…
The hard part is being the first to say, “I’m sorry, will you please forgive me?”
The Bible says that God gives grace to the humble. Sometimes, being humble means saying “I am sorry” first. Think about it. Don’t you find it relatively easy to apologize if the other person says, “I am sorry,” first? Saying…
Are you willing to cooperate?
This Sunday I will preach about the importance of memorizing Scripture. Hiding God’s word in our hearts, is one of the best ways to cooperate with the grace of God. Remember today that while God is a God of grace,…
Motivation for caring for your pastor
One of the ways the Bible motivates you as a believer to support your pastor is by teaching that it is in your own best interest to do so. Look out for your pastor and you are looking out for…
We All Want to Be Written into the Story
My 3 year* old daughter Mary Beth loves to be written into the story. She likes traditional fairy tales a lot. But, she loves them even more when I invent a role for her in the story. So, I’ve been…
When Laola Rolled out the Red Carpet for a Pastor and His Wife
One of Jamie and my favorite pastoral visits was to an older lady. I am not sure of her exact age, but I do know that she and her husband had been married for 67 years. It was a visit…
Don’t Ask the Depressed, “How Are You Doing?”
Let me tell you something to avoid asking a friend who is feeling down. I am not saying it is always wrong, but be careful. Ask this question and you may make the situation worse. Here is the question to…
You’re Not Swearing If You Use the Word “Submit”
Non-Christians regularly throw around words that should not be part of a believer’s vocabulary. No matter how flippantly people may say, “Oh my God,” Christians should never use our Creator’s name irreverently. You already knew that. What is interesting is…
How to Respond to a Crisis
One night at dinner my family analyzed the Old Testament story of Jehosheba. The quick summary is that a murderous woman named Athaliah made it her goal to murder all the heirs to the throne. But, for brave Jehosheba she…
A Time to Use the “SW” Word
“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent (Proverbs 10:19).” About two months into kindergarten, our daughter Allison gravely told her mother and me that someone had swore on the bus. Had Allison…