Life’s Challenges
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We have a Savior who knows our struggles and knows our pain, and he will give us the strength to persevere and trust his will for us.
I’ll be happy when . . .
I’ll be happy when I’m done with school. I’ll be happy when I’m married. I’ll be happy when I have kids. I’ll be happy…
What are we for?
We Christians often state what we’re against. That way of arguing is called polemics. It’s taking others down by picking apart their belief systems….
Rockin’ to the oldies
My apologies to any of you who don’t have oldies yet. You will. I think often of my former students who are trapped in…
A battle worth fighting
“You have to pick your battles.” In other words, there are some things that are either just too small to worry about or battles…
When sin tears people apart
I find Paul’s words to the Romans as challenging as they are beautiful: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,…
Refocused but resistant
Did you know there are only four verses in the book of Jonah that talk about the big fish swallowing him? This story isn’t…
Rescued but responsible
The longest anyone has held his or her breath underwater is 22 minutes. Impressive! How long did Jonah hold his when he was thrown…
Defiance and acceptance
When Jonah ran from God, buying a one-way ticket away from Nineveh, he put himself and everyone on that ship in danger. Who have…
On the run
“Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish . . . to flee from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). Jonah ran from God…
Is peace possible?
I love how realistic the apostle Paul is. While teaching on sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation, he wrote, “If it is possible, as far as…
Helping boys become men
In the 90s, I was a regular on the church basement seminar circuit. One of my presentations was entitled, “Helping Boys Become Men.” It…
The math of forgiveness
Here’s a story that Jesus almost told—There was a man who owed a king 100 silver coins. The king, knowing the man couldn’t pay…