The War Over our Hearts

The War Over our Hearts

Here is some sad news to start your day with. According to the Council on Foreign Relations Global Conflict Tracker, right now, there are some 27 worldwide conflicts raging. These wars may be a state of armed conflict between different countries or groups. They may...
Modern Day Pharisees

Modern Day Pharisees

I recently read an article about how some modern Jewish people honor the Sabbath. This particular article was focused on how people can “work around” some of those laws. For example, there is a Shabbat rule that does not allow the turning on or off of anything that...
What if Jesus Was Serious?

What if Jesus Was Serious?

Recently I have been spending some time in the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Putting it mildly, it is a challenging portion of scripture. And then I started reading Skye Jethani’s little book, What if Jesus was Serious? (I highly recommend it.) His contention is...
The Upstairs Came Down

The Upstairs Came Down

I love the short story of how a child tried to describe an elevator. She said, “I got into this little room and the upstairs came down.” That phrase has stuck in my mind, “…the upstairs came down.” Isn’t it an apt description of the blessings we receive from the...
Getting Our Backpack Fitted

Getting Our Backpack Fitted

In Galatians 6, we are told to “carry each other’s burdens’ (vs. 2) and then in verse 5 we are instructed that “each one should carry his own load.” It can be confusing. Are we on our own to haul around the daily burdens of life or are we supposed to reach out and...
Boat Potatoes

Boat Potatoes

I had reason recently to review some of the principles found in John Ortberg’s great book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get out of the Boat. Using the story found in Matthew 14 where Peter joins Jesus as He walked on the water, Ortberg contrasts “water...