Romans 5:6-11 — For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die–but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.… Continue reading For the Ungodly
This is a sales liturgy that makes its way into American Christianity. Now, I don’t think you’d find this saying preached from the pulpit of most churches, but many of those in the pews would likely agree that surrounding oneself with positive, higher-achieving friends/acquaintances is a great strategy for reaching one’s professional goals. Let’s examine… Continue reading Surround Yourself with Positive People
I decided I need some diversity in my reading list, so on a recent (awesome) trip to Asheville, NC with my lovely wife, I picked up this Ta-Nehisi Coates’ best-seller, Between the World and Me. To say this has been a challenging yet revealing read is akin to saying Michael Phelps is good at swimming.… Continue reading Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Dream
For a period, I regretted my wife’s involvement with a hyper-Calvinist para-church organization on the basis that their (over) emphasis on sin was excessive and even potentially harmful. *Disclaimer: my wife is on the board of said organization and I’m happy that we generously give to it since it’s doing great gospel work regardless of… Continue reading So Many Sins
As our church embarks on an outstanding effort to love where we are and live and work, the Sunday school class I help teach is following along in a series entitled, “We Are”. In essence, this is a series that seeks to define us, a particular local church with several campuses (and thus, many diverse… Continue reading Love
We live in strange times. The Syrian Refugee crisis has revealed a quirk in the system of predictable political positions. Some leftists are calling for caution if not outright refusal on the question of whether or not to take in about 10,000 Syrian refugees while the compassionate conservatives are saying it’s our duty and responsibility… Continue reading Our Response to Our Brothers’ & Sisters’ Responses
I’ve been into the prophets ever since I discovered Walter Brueggemann sometime last year. Anyway, I remember reading all the way through Jeremiah for a church-run program called DC (Discipleship Curriculum). It was seldom breathtaking. I came away feeling like I’d just read the journal entry of a man’s worst day over & over. Well,… Continue reading Jeremiah 35
Conservative Bible interpreters say they believe in reading the Bible literally, yet when it comes to reading the treasure trove of texts that deal with the wealthy, they turn as “liberal” in how they read those money texts as the most pro-homosexual Biblical interpreter reads those texts which seem to plainly view homosexual behavior in… Continue reading Selective Scriptural Interpretation #1
Charleston Church Shooting I know my redeemer lives. He is the baby wrapped in cloths, laid vulnerable and bare and relegated to the straw and the visible breath of nighttime chill. He’s the welcoming committee who also warns and produces repentance at great risk to himself. He meets you at night because he’s prepped in… Continue reading Charleston Church Shooting
Most people I know want the blood and guts. They want the dirt and the grime. They want Instagram over Photoshop. They want the real McCoy. So why do so many of us busy ourselves with putting on the front that we are perfect or that everything is all right? Those around us don’t need… Continue reading Imperfect is More Authentic
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