He stood powerless in front of the people. Thousands had gathered. For them, life had become hopeless, and this man had told them to follow him. And follow they did, leaving everything to give him a shot. But now he stood, fearing he'd made a mistake. He might have led them straight to their demise.
Read moreThe Life of David: Loving Your Enemies (1 Samuel 24)
Jesus taught hard, radical things. During his sermon on the mount, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43). It seems that, by the time of Christ, the religious leaders had taken the Old Testament command to ‘love your neighbor’ to mean one should also hate their enemy. Their teaching was, of course, a perversion of God’s word. Jesus corrected, and then addended their teaching. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). (15 Minutes, 4000 Words)
Read moreArchival Post and Podcast: Fight for Your Right to Silence
My moment occurred one morning. I was twenty-nine years old, the brand new pastor of my childhood church, with three daughters and a bride to care for. The stress of the previous few years had weighed on me, but there I was, fighting the fight. I woke in the morning darkness, hoping to get a jump on the day, sat down, and read it. (3 Minutes /800 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: Faith Looks Forward to the Better City of God
In the middle of this great chapter on faith, the author of Hebrews pauses to give a recap. He has already covered creation, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. He will get back to Abraham, the patriarchs, Moses, and many others. But before he does, he gives a beautiful statement about the mentality which drove our forefathers' faith. In short, they looked for the better city of God.
Read moreFaith Looks Forward to the Better City of God (Hebrews 11:13–16)
In the middle of this great chapter on faith, the author of Hebrews pauses to give a recap. He has already covered creation, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. He will get back to Abraham, the patriarchs, Moses, and many others. But before he does, he gives a beautiful statement about the mentality which drove our forefathers' faith. In short, they looked for the better city of God. (7 Minutes/1800 Words)
Read moreAs Life Complexifies, Trust Must Broaden (Psalm 46:10)
He stood powerless in front of the people. Thousands had gathered. For them, life had become hopeless, and this man had told them to follow him. And follow they did, leaving everything to give him a shot. But now he stood, fearing he'd made a mistake. He might have led them straight to their demise. (2 Minutes, 400 Words)
Read moreFight For Your Right To Silence
My moment occurred on the toilet of all places. I was twenty-nine years old, the brand new pastor of my childhood church, with three daughters and a bride to care for. The stress of the previous few years had weighed on me, but there I was, fighting the fight.
4 Minutes / 800 Words
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