“For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And His commands are not a burden…” 1 John 5:3 I wrestled with this for a long time as a teenager. I wanted to obey the Great Commandment, “love the Lord your God” (Matthew 22:37), but I didn’t always feel like I loved God. […]
Read MoreKaltenbach, Caleb. Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction. Waterbrook Press, 2015. The subtitle of the book is a great description of the content of this work. Kaltenbach shares his personal biography of his parent’s divorce when he was 2 years old and the subsequent “coming out” of […]
Read More“He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”” John 9:25 This man had it right. He could not explain how his life was transformed, but he knew it was transformed. He was blind from birth but now able to see. He could not explain why his life […]
Read More“Follow the Leader” When Jesus met Peter, He didn’t make Peter a leader. Peter brought natural gifting that has made many great leaders. Quick wit, passion, risk-taking ability, forcefulness, and courage are marks that cause leaders to rise in the ranks of military, business, and academic achievement. Peter had all of these marks… before Jesus. Peter […]
Read More“Because of this, the wisdom of God said…” – Luke 11:49 It’s an unusual expression in the gospels, “the wisdom of God.” Some say it is a reference to Jesus. Others say it refers to God Himself. As always, the context is the best place to look for help. Jesus is speaking, so it would be strange, even […]
Read More“The Lord says: “I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept His statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.” Amos 2:4 The nations around Judah were punished for their violence towards others. Judah, however, committed a far […]
Read More“For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 “Where you look is where you will tend to go.” These words rung in my ears as I drove away from the house for my first solo drive behind the wheel. […]
Read MoreWe are glory seekers by nature. We delight in our favorite team’s glory. We delight in our children and grandchildren’s glory. We even delight in our city, state, or nation’s glory. Like the sweetness of honey on our tongue, is the experience of sharing in glory like this. The wisdom of the proverb is not […]
Read More“As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not offer a cry or a prayer on their behalf, and do not beg me, for I will not listen to you.” – Jeremiah 7:16 Three times. Three times God tells Jeremiah not to pray for his nation because their rebellion and rejection of God’s rightful rule and their wickedness and […]
Read More“In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food – yes, He gives sleep to the one He loves.” – Psalm 127:2 Let’s go back one verse. Psalm 127:1 raises two sets of questions. First, “what is the Lord building?” and consequently, what should I build? Second, “what is […]
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Think These Things 