Tag: Gospel

  • Know Yourself. Know Your Idol.

    Know Yourself. Know Your Idol.

    The two latest tragedies that are in front of me are the school shooting in Texas, and the abuse scandal unraveling in another Christian denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. Both are incredibly painful. They should be. They are another example of how humanity has fallen and how determined, it seems, humanity is to stay mired…

  • Hear the Roar

    Hear the Roar

    Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 3:1–12; Colossians 4:2–18 The Psalm speaks of the land of Israel having God’s blessings. It needed it. God’s blessing was both a protection and a source of bounty. The gist is that if Israel’s people were being blessed by the land, including peace from war, bountiful crops, and growing families, then God…

  • Finer or Better Things

    Finer or Better Things

    Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15; 2 Kings 14:1–14; Mark 4:1–20 Every generation is in danger of not being as faithful as the one(s) that preceded it. There is, of course, the huge possibility that “this” generation (whichever generation “this” is) will restart a journey of renewed faithfulness. The church in the US—and so-called Christian Culture—is experiencing a…

  • Places for Scripture

    Places for Scripture

    Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 11:18–21; Mark 16:19–20 “Place these words…on your heart” and then fast forward to “…they went out and proclaimed the message everywhere.”One of the little truths about this passage in Deuteronomy is the very simple tool given that many turned into a soulless rule or merely room decor. God directed that God’s word…

  • Gōdspel

    Gōdspel

    Psalm 135; Daniel 6:1–28; 1 John 2:12–17 If all things were equal, it should be very easy to tell people about Jesus, and what Jesus did for them even when they opposed God (Romans 5:6–8). However, in the Western world, and especially in the US/Canada region, it has become difficult for a myriad of reasons.…

  • At The Gates

    At The Gates

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:10–16; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52 When we read the word “barren” in Jeremiah, we often think it is talking about the land, in particular the environment. The barrenness is in regard to people, in particular, God’s people (and their herds). They will soon no longer reside in the Promised Land, praising and…

  • Face-to-Face With Jesus

    Face-to-Face With Jesus

    Psalm 25:1–10; Genesis 9:8–17; 1 Peter 3:18–22; Mark 1:9–15 A number of years ago, I was part of a drama that was really a hellfire and brimstone (or “turn or burn”) presentation. As my theology has deepened, and my wrestlings with the Scriptures have continued, the over-simplification of it bothers me. Much of everything around…

  • Freely

    Freely

    We are often quite ready to put boundaries on many things in our lives. With whom and how, however, the fewer boundaries we place the more likely we are to be where God already is.