NOTE: The following is an edited re-post of my original post from 8-26-19. A lot has changed since then, but not our calling to be salt and light. I think this post fits perfectly into our discussion of living for God in a Godless world. How can Christians make a difference in the world? Are…
Read MoreBlessed are the Persecuted?
One of the greatest and most recognizable sermons in history is the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7. One of the most famous parts of that sermon is what we call the Beatitudes, which comes from the Latin word for “blessings.” The kinds of people listed here are “blessed,”…
Read MoreA Prayer That Can Shake the World
We looked previously at Acts 4, where we saw Peter and John heal a man, only to get arrested for doing so. They were then told to stop talking about Jesus and were released from prison, basically because the religious leaders didn’t know what to do with them. But what did Peter and John do…
Read MoreHaving the Courage to Speak
Of all the characters in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” my favorite has always been the Cowardly Lion. And probably my favorite thing about him is his speech about courage. You know, “What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk?…
Read MoreStanding on Your Convictions
It’s more important than ever for believers to stand on our convictions, even when there may be consequences for doing so. By “conviction,” I’m talking about a firmly held belief about God or his truth. I’m talking about taking a stand for God even if that stand is unpopular or brings pain. At some point,…
Read MoreLiving for God in a Godless World
When I served at Tapestry Church several years ago, the first place we met was a bar. We had to show up early to set up our equipment, and that meant changing the bar into a place of worship. We weren’t perfect at doing that. I preached one Sunday on being the light of the…
Read MoreState of Theology in America 2020
And now for something completely different, at least different from most of what I post here. LifeWay Research recently issued the results of its State of Theology study, which explores the religious beliefs of adults throughout the United States. The survey, which was also taken in 2014, 2016, and 2018, collected answers from 3000 people…
Read MoreThe God of Wonder
In October, we had the great fortune of joining our daughter, Tori, on a visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. It was an amazing trip, probably highlighted by watching bison walk so close to the car that we could have reached out and touched them. I didn’t do that. I wanted to! But…
Read MoreThe Providence of God
Does God have a plan? Are the things happening around me part of some grand scheme of God’s? Or is this world spinning out of control? Those are legitimate questions at any time, but especially today. It’s easy to feel like things are out of control. But are they? As we continue our look at…
Read MoreThe God of Perfect Love
Merry Christmas! It’s finally here, the day we celebrate the birth of a little baby in the tiny village of Bethlehem all those years ago. Every December, I sit down and watch all of the old Christmas TV specials I watched as a kid. You know, shows like “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed…
Read More