Pointing Fingers
We don’t like having a finger pointed at us because it implies we’re guilty! However, we are pretty natural at pointing toward someone else. It seems quite easy to see the sins of others; doesn’t it? We think we’re quite accurate at evaluating the faults and failures we presume to observe in friends, family members, neighbors, and the like. . . .
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Taking Your Vitamins?
When we’re jogging along in a healthy trajectory of spiritual growth, we can find ourselves gaining an inordinate confidence in ourselves. We gaze back at our past accomplishments with a token note of thanks to God, yet also an encroaching desire for a good ole’ pat-on-the-back. We might ease up on the throttle, subtly believing we’ve crossed a threshold in obvious maturity. . . .
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A Sermon From My 16-year-old Self
A few days ago I uncovered an old spiral-bound notebook from my high school days. “Aha! This should be humorous!” I thought. “What sort of peculiar ideas was I scribbling down at that age?”
As I thumbed through various notes from my landscape business, exam preparation material on American government and economics, backpacking food recipes, and other random jots, my interest perked up when I happened upon a sermon I wrote concerning prayer and the status of our country. Interestingly, all the dates in this notebook are from 1999, which indicates I penned this sermon-essay a little over 16 years ago, when I was 16 years old…
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Post-Holiday Season Hope
All our time and energy goes into “that one day” and when that day is done, many of us might be happy but a lot of us feel wiped out, burned out, let down, or downright empty.
But what if the biggest thing you and your family looked forward was something more, something that would never let down?
Is there a hope that never dies…that sustains you, motivates you, inspires you, energizes you…and even dramatically changes your focus about everything?
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The Heart of Christmas
We love all the festive decorations, candles, lights, trees, and ribbons of Christmas around our house. In fact, Christmas music has been ringing and singing through our place since the beginning of November… or maybe even October. Memories of snowball fights, goofy red sweaters, sleigh rides, and hot chocolate warm my soul. How about you?
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The Word on Refugees
I can still hear their muffled cries. The sound won’t leave my ears.
I can still see their mud-stained tears. The sight won’t leave my mind.
I can almost smell the faint aroma of the seashore…
While we may have myriad questions about the politics and economics involved in this refugee crisis, as Christians the most important question is not if they come but when they come, how does God want us to respond? Wherever they are in the world, how should we respond to the sojourner, the refugee?
