The first verse of the Psalms. . . Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2, ESV). Now, consider this quote by […]
Psalms on Saturday ~ C.S. Lewis on the Psalms Read More »
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29, ESV). TGIF, or “Thank God It’s Friday,” sums up the weekend philosophy of many. Weekends are different: no school and hopefully no overtime
Weekend Conversations Read More »
As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15, ESV) The purpose of the church — ultimately — is to preach the gospel to those who are lost. Jesus didn’t leave the church in the world, empowered by the Spirit, with a commission to go into all the
A Church or a Club? Read More »
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, ESV). Created by our Father for relationship, we are as happy as those relationships. Because of sin (missing the mark of loving relationships), we find ourselves separated from God, others, and self. This separation can be filled with the G.U.L.F. Principles of Restoration.
The G.U.L.F. Principles of Restoration Read More »
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9, ESV). It’s easy to grow weary. For 23 years, I’ve been going to the Philippines, teaching church leaders on the importance of one-to-one discipleship. For those who haven’t traveled extensively with international ministry,
Discipleship in the Philippines Read More »
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105, ESV). My favorite college professor once told our class, “I believe in the Bible because of verisimilitude!” which is a very “big and beautiful”* theological word meaning “very similar throughout.” The Bible, written over 1,400 years, contains 66 books
Seventy-six times. . . When reading the Psalms, we look at them as personal, written for individuals. While all the Psalms can help us in difficulty, many of them were written as prophecies of God’s purposes for Israel and Zion (or Jerusalem). At least 76 times in the Psalms, a psalmist mentions God’s promises toward
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 132 Read More »
I’ve been blessed to travel often both for ministry and vacation. Many of us love to travel, and I, along with most of you, love to hear about travel hacks to make our trips cheaper and easier. Rick Steves, Globe Trekker, and Samantha Brown live a life of travel made possible by their insights and
Bible Travel Hacks Read More »
Let’s understand grace and mercy. . . Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16, ESV). When sin entered God’s creation, He had three options. . . Amen for Jesus! Two theological terms describe what
Understanding Grace and Mercy ~ Part 2 Read More »
. . . Respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed (Romans 13:7, ESV). There’s something about a short-term mission trip that changes your life. Change experts describe moments of “deep impression” that have such an impact that our lives are changed. Often, these moments of considerable change can happen in
Reporting from the Philippines Read More »