Is God’s Word Like a Map?

Is God’s Word Like a Map?

We have a small group of believers ranging in age from nine to 50-something that meet in our home each week for prayer, fellowship, a meal, and Bible study. The Bible study portion of our time together is very interactive. We read Scripture, we ask questions, we make observations; we wrestle and chew on the …

Facebook Newsfeed and the Misdirected Outrage of UnFans

Facebook Newsfeed and the Misdirected Outrage of UnFans

Today I received a message from a “former” fan of one of the Pages I manage on Facebook. This particular page has over 85k Likes, so the volume of Messages and Notifications is pretty high. This particular message stood out, though: “please stop sending messages.. i have unlike you and dont know why i keep …

12 Biblical Reasons to Give Thanks

12 Biblical Reasons to Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I certainly love it as much as I love Christmas (even though it doesn’t get near the treatment that Christmas gets). Growing up, Thanksgiving was the day when my Mom’s side of the family got together. It was always a huge meal with lots of people. Of the …

Intoxicated

Intoxicated

In October of 1983, I was just starting my sophomore year in high school and Huey Lewis had just released his Sports album. Heart and Soul, The Heart of Rock & Roll, If This Is It, and I Want a New Drug were all hits. At that time, I was more of a metal head, …

Good Friday Meditation: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Good Friday Meditation: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Hands down, my all-time favorite “easter” song is O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. The original poem is often attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), but in recent years has been attributed to the Medieval poet Arnulf of Louvain (died 1250). The first time I heard the song was on the 2000 4Him release Hymns: A Place for Worship. Listen …

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 3

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 3

In Act 1, we learned how the little fir tree became important to Christians. Boniface used the tree as an object lesson to teach about God! Then in Act 2 we learned about the Paradise Tree and its use in teaching about Creation and the Fall. But it would be another 350 years before the …

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 2

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 2

In Act 1, we learned how the little fir tree initially became important to Christians. Boniface used the tree as an object lesson to teach about God the eternal, creator of all things—Father, Spirit, and Son! As the years went by, churches all over heard about what happened and they too wanted to use the …

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 1

The Story of the Christmas Tree, Act 1

It’s difficult to imagine Christmas without decorated trees. But do they have any “redeeming” value for Christians? And how did the idea get started in the first place? I think the answer to the first question is a resounding YES! The answer to the second question is a bit longer. Believe it or not, the …

The End of a Season

The End of a Season

Sitting at my computer this morning, my windows are open, it’s 64° outside, and I’m sipping my favorite autumn drink (hot chai). It’s a bittersweet moment for me. Fall brings a rich, crispness to the air. It brings pumpkin everything (which I heartily applaud), a whole new wardrobe of warmer clothes, and beautiful colors. In …