You can probably think of someone who has stepped away from involvement in a local church. There are many reasons people decide to pull away. They find a sport or some other form of entertainment that takes the place of…
Facing Death
When we think of how quickly death can come, and that some will spend eternity in hell, any of us might be paralyzed by a fear of death. But, Hebrews 2:14-15 reads, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he…
Titus 2:11-14 – A Rare Jewel of a Passage
All of Scripture is from God. But, there are some passages in the Bible that are special summaries. These chapters and verses are jewels that adorn the Bible. Extra meditation on passages like John 1, John 14, Psalm 23, Romans…
The Principle of the Rope
One of the things we talk about at our church is something called the principle of the rope. The principle of the rope is that there exists an invisible link, a figurative rope if you will, between people. Whether you…
The Quicksand of Depression
Ever suffer from depression? Ever get sucked into emotional quicksand. Telling yourself to snap out of it, or trying reason up out of the muck only makes it worse? Abraham Lincoln once said about his depression. “I am now the…
The Unpopular Topic of Hell
Hell, I realize is not a popular topic of discussion today. Broadly, we prefer to avoid thinking about hell too much for at least a couple of reasons. First, the biblical teaching about hell is infuriating to unbelieving culture. Those…
A Time to "Cuss" & a Person to "Cuss" At
About two months into kindergarten, our daughter Allison gravely announced to Jamie and me that someone had swore on the bus. I knew that we needed to process this with her, so I asked what exactly what was said. Allison…
The Wrong Way to Remember
Did you know that there is a kind of remembering that is bad? Are you aware that there is a way of recalling the “good old days” that leads to disaster? Of course, there are ways that Christians are commanded…
My Yearly Message for Graduates
Graduation is just around the corner. As a pastor, that means that I will once again be sharing a letter with graduating seniors. Every year I make it a point to graduating seniors to never forget that: Jesus Christ is…
What Makes a Pre-School S.S. Teacher?
The other night at dinner our five year old, Mary Beth, surprised me by summarizing the doctrine of the Trinity. I know that I am more than a little biased, but for a five year old it was a pretty…