THE BLOG
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Where Are You Looking?
As I was reading this week in Numbers 13–14, I was drawn to the profound influence of the words “see,“ saw,” and “sight.”
God had promised to give His people (Israel) the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. He told Moses to select a leader from each one of the 12 tribes of Israel to “spy out the land of Canaan” and watch this: “SEE” what the land is like (“good or bad…fat or lean…trees or not”), what the people were like (“strong or weak…few or many”), how the cities were in which they lived (“open camps or with fortifications”), and to “get some of the fruit of the land” (Num. 13:18–20).
What About Death?
Recently, I listened to the late Steve Jobs commencement address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005. Steven Paul Jobs was best known for co-founding the Apple Inc, NeXT and was the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar. He died at age 56 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. The following is an excerpt from one of three stories he told. Story one was about connecting the dots. Story two was about love and loss and his third and final story was about death (cited below).
We’re Different; Are You?
I closed my message this past Sunday with the following citation from Brett McCracken’s book (Faith: Deconstructing Doubt in the Church) that shows how different and strange and unwelcome historic Christianity is in our culture as it subverts all the current norms.
I Love the Church, Don’t You?
It is no surprise that the greatest organization on the face of the earth, the church, would be beset with all sorts of struggles, weaknesses, and imperfections in its earthly expression. Why? Simply because you and I are part of it. Enough said. But oh, how I love the church! There is nothing like her in terms of her origin (founded by our Creator, Redeemer, and King Jesus), her mission (to provide the ultimate remedy of life for our ultimate disease of sin), and her viability (she survives and thrives beyond any and all obstacle or opposition).
Full of Grace and Truth
One of the many remarkable attributes of our Lord and Savior is this: He is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Truly amazing, but have you noticed how these attributes tend to be out of sync in our lives? I know it happens to me.
Like me, we have all been called to “walk as He walked” (1 John 2:6), to “follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21) because we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). The Lord desires that we be “full of grace and truth,” not bent toward truth OR grace.
The Fellowship of the Unashamed
Before my dad went home to be with the Lord, he loved to preach, share the gospel, and write. One of his favorite ways to write was composing monologues which he compiled and put into a book, Words Aptly Spoken. These monologues were designed to motivate believers to live for Christ.
Never Stop Doing 3 Things
Growing up, my parents would tell us to avoid using the words “always” or “never.” These words tended to overexaggerate what really happened and lead to a potential and needless conflict.
God doesn’t avoid using the words “never” or “always” because He knows best what needs to be carefully avoided and intentionally perpetuated in our lives.
It is interesting to read the 9 English words (or 7 Greek words) in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 that tell us three things God wants us to always keep doing (present tense imperatives).
What’s Your G.E. Quotient
One of the ways churches want to stand out is by their culture of friendliness to newcomers. I call this the G.E. quotient, meaning our guest engagement factor.
One of the truths and experiences we hold dear as believers is how God designed us as relational people who find great joy in all the various relationships He blesses us with: marriage, family, siblings, friends, neighbors, classmates, teammates, gym partners, work colleagues, affinity groups, church family, AND meeting those who are new to our church.
What Your Trials Are and Are Not
I saw the following posted by Owen Strachan (provost and research professor of theology at Grace Theological Seminary) and it is worth sharing:
Your trials, Christian, aren’t accidents unplanned by God, spiraling out of His control.
Your trials aren’t attacks— God hating you and making you pay with bitter resentment.
Your trials aren’t mere allowances of God, occurrences He oversees but aren’t really from Him.
Your trials are God’s appointments in which He uses real pain and difficulty to