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How does the Church earn the right to be heard in such times? By exhibiting the character of our God, because, as our culture tells us, character matters. Ungodly behavior will undermine our testimony for Jesus every time. Scripture gives no disconnect between belief and behavior. Could the reason the Church looks so much like…

God places a high value on unity. Unity in families. Unity in marriage. Unity in the church. Is it any wonder the enemy destroys unity wherever he can? That families, marriages, and the church are constantly under attack? Matthew wrote, “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and…

Drama: A state, situation, or series of events involving interesting or intense conflict of forces (Merriam-Webster). I enjoy drama in film or literature, but I can do without it on a personal level. Though some thrive on it (reality TV?), drama does serious damage to unity. And unity is something I pray for regularly. Strong…

Poverty. Destitution. Scary words. Ones we try to avoid by planning, saving, and good insurance. But allow me to tweak your view of poverty. I researched the vow of poverty and here’s what I found. A vow of poverty is not a vow of destitution. Sister Julie said, “The vow of poverty means holding all things…

This quote from one of my class lectures resonated with me. This semester, I have Acts and the Pauline Epistles. I’m deep in Acts, and, let me tell you, Acts is the textbook for cross-cultural communication. And, make no mistake, our present culture is at odds with our faith. What once drew respect now draws…

A semicircle of scholars wrapped around the two. Learned men. Men of means. Leaders in the community. Stumped. Flummoxed by a couple of blue-collar guys. Fishermen, no less. Followers of Jesus. Their scholarly noses wrinkled at the thought. Yet, the man, who had been crippled from birth, stood nearby, wiggling his toes and bouncing on his…

Time limits. Writers love them. An endpoint creates urgency, raises the stakes, and increases the tension. Will James Bond diffuse the bomb in time? Will the hero get to the airport before his romantic interest flies out of his life—forever? Will the police find the kidnapped victims before they suffocate in the deranged killer’s sweltering…

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 NIV Disciplined. Usually a word that describes me. However, as I get older, I’m fighting the flesh more. The temptation to indulge myself grows stronger and stronger. To…

My children tended to learn one of two ways: by example—or the hard way. God prefers we learn by example. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 1 Cor. 10:11 NIV God’s filled Scripture with good and bad examples: Job’s…

Check out this quote from C. S. Lewis: This reminds me of three demon apprentices who were being trained by the Devil on how they might be able to better populate hell. One demon said, “We can tell them that there is no God.” The Devil says, “No, that won’t work . . . people…