Dec 30, 2020 | Perspectives
Thoughts from the Back Pew All Christian churches preach and teach the “Great Commission,” the command Jesus gave to all of us to go and make disciples. The Greek word translated “go” is in the present-perfect verb tense and more accurately can be translated “while...
Dec 30, 2020 | Refreshment
Severe depression is, by definition, an unhealthy, unnatural state of mind, inherently and wholly illogical. It really and truly doesn’t make sense. And that’s what makes it so difficult for those who’ve never dealt with it (and even many who have) to understand....
Dec 28, 2020 | Inspiration
Every Church Can Do Something I remember the first time I learned about orphans as a young boy. It was from a late-night infomercial highlighting starving orphans in Africa. It hit me hard then, and still today, I cannot fathom not having a loving family to take care...
Dec 25, 2020 | Inspiration
As Adam and Eve left the Great King’s royal garden in Eden, they carried with them not only the consequences of their rebellion but the promise that God would ransom them, and all Creation, from the clutches of sin and death. Like a scarlet ribbon ever unraveling from...
Dec 24, 2020 | Inspiration
When Christmas Isn’t Joyful On the morning of December 14th, 2012, I sat by the soft glow of my Christmas tree in the pre-dawn stillness. The tranquility of the moment stood in direct contrast with the scene unfolding before me in scripture as I read Matthew chapter...
Dec 23, 2020 | Inspiration
An old man stoops and grabs a weathered hardback off the shelf. He handles the volume gently, careful not to disturb the fragile binding while returning to his favorite chair, glasses perched on his nose. As he slowly turns the yellowed pages, his eyes dart around the...
Dec 22, 2020 | Inspiration
Elizabeth sat on the ground, heels tucked beneath her, and kneaded the dough in the bowl in front of her. A strand of gray hair slipped from beneath her head covering and clung to the perspiration running down her temple. After a moment she grimaced, sat up straight,...
Dec 21, 2020 | Perspectives
I was sitting on a hillside in Israel when I first believed God loved me. I spent a good portion of my early life in church. My mother tells me I attended my first service when I was no more than two-weeks-old. After that, I was there for Sunday School, Sunday morning...
Dec 18, 2020 | Inspiration
If you listened to my Christmas playlist, you’d quickly get bored. It’s essentially every version of O Holy Night available on Spotify. Even though they’ve left out some verses, my favorite version is still the *NSYNC cover. Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly...
