“I apologize for what I said, but…” …but you had it coming …but you were wrong …but you hurt me …but if you hadn’t… …but I was so stressed No doubt you could add to the list from what you’ve heard said to you. Maybe you can add to it from what you yourself […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Apology’s Big “But”We find a number of explanations for Jesus coming into this world, the event we celebrate this time of year. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. Related reasons are scattered throughout the New Testament. In his first […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Christmas is about Satan, not SantaHave you ever been camping? Living outdoors and trudging in the woods for days. You arrive home exhilarated but exhausted. What’s one of the first things you want to do? Shower. A nice, long, hot shower. You can feel the sweat and grime running down your body and into the drain. It makes you feel […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Forgiveness’s Dirty Little SecretAURORA, IN—While she understands the entirety of her forgiveness in God’s eyes granted by the shed blood of Jesus Christ which absolves her of any and all guilt now and forevermore while simultaneously imputing her with the very righteousness of God the Son, local believer Kim Calhoun, due to her incredibly developed sense of […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Forgiveness and Fancy Eating TablesOn Monday a passenger jet took off from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, headed to Medellin, Colombia. It never made it. It crashed eight miles short of the airport killing 71 people aboard, including members of a soccer team from Brazil headed to Medellin for participation in the finals of a soccer tournament. The reason for […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Crash-Proof MinistrySounds implausible, doesn’t it? A father at 62. But that’s what I am. It’s even more remarkable because I am a father at 62 without a child to show for it. And I’m not alone. In fact, there will be a convention of men just like me gathering in Mobile, Alabama this month. For years […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on A Father at 62I was only in my early 40’s but the x-ray revealed arthritis developing in both of my shoulders. That explained the pain when I extended my arms above my head. It was disturbing for someone who enjoyed planning tennis. I refused to allow the interloper the upper hand. Rather than allow pain to limit […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Operation Expectant PrayerAs pastor of a Reformed and Presbyterian church, I have the privilege of applying the sign of covenant initiation to infants born into our church family. I recognize infant baptism is not universally accepted across the contemporary Christian church, so I try to give biblical basis for our practice. We are a church that holds […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Who Should Be Baptized? a covenant dialogueYea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). As a pastor, I have attended the bedside of believers as they passed from this life to the next. There’s something unnerving […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Exploring the Valley of the Shadow of Death