There is an old Greek proverb that speaks about being stressed: You will break the bow if you keep it always bent. Just finished listening to a series of sermons about stress in our lives. It wasn’t a bad collection of messages. But to be honest the series left me … ummm … stressed. The…
Recently we have been spending time in our Adult Bible Study talking about the essentials of the faith – the items that we have to believe, that are not negotiable to still be considered a Christian. What doctrines are needed for growing the faith? We have mentioned concepts like beliefs in a personal, creative God;…
Traditions aren’t what they used to be, are they? Some things are just not necessary because they are no longer needed. I don’t have to sing all sixteen verses of Just as I Am as a hymn of invitation at the end of every church service. I don’t have to listen to my favorite music…
Have you studied or read through the entire Sermon on the Mount before? Did it strike you different? Most of us have studied parts of the sermon – perhaps the beatitudes or the Lord’s Prayer. But most of us have not given a great deal of time or effort in studying the entire passage. Sometime…
Rich Mullins is one of my favorite contemporary Christian songwriters. Though I may be a tad prejudiced, Rich seemed to have a way of painting pictures of life on the canvas of a musical staff that were especially meaningful to me. Whether it be about the awesome nature of our God, the wonders of God’s…
Thirty days in May. Growing up in Indianapolis, those words were shouted on the radio and plastered in the newspapers. Thirty days in May. My grandfather loathed counting thirty days in May. Thirty days that you couldn’t shop at the Topp’s Discount Store (Walmart wannabe) in Speedway because of the crowds. During these thirty days…
According to Psychology Today, decades of intense clinical research has shed a great deal of light on the psychology of human suffering. No matter how difficult and unpleasant the suffering, human suffering is often accompanied by beautiful acts of compassion by others wanting to help relieve the suffering. Suffering leads to a positive response from…
There are some days of the year that make me introspective. Father’s Day – the day to remember Dad – is one of those days. The last five years, I have celebrated the actual day by having BBQ at a little food-truck restaurant in Seaside, Florida called Barefoot BBQ. There is something about staring at…
I have several outlets that give me an opportunity to write: a column for a newspaper, articles for a couple of magazines, content for a few websites, and ramblings on Facebook (which one day will be housed on a personal website). Many times when I write, I do so because of events or circumstances that…