Near But So Far
It was one of those experiences I'll never forget. Two of my colleagues and I were visiting Jordan to explore the possibility of our church getting involved in mission work there. We had been assigned a driver for the duration…
Dialogical Tension
Sounds academic. Maybe too academic for you to bother with. But, before you tune me out, or click out of this blog, you may want to think twice. The enemy is using the absence of dialogical tension in our world…
What’s Your Thorn?
As long as I can remember, there has always been a lot of speculation about what Paul’s thorn was...the source of struggle for Paul, so severe, that it caused him to ask the Lord three times to please remove it…
God Watching To Bring You Out
It is an unlikely verse that I believe has the power to change your view of life. You could easily read right past the verse, either in the sweeping excitement of the exodus narrative, or, because since some translations interpret…
Dangerous Prayer
I am so encouraged that over the last few years there seems to be a growing cry all over the country for God to revive His Church...and from some unlikely voices and places. I think the rapid deterioration and growing…
A New Thing
We just returned from four days of an amazing pastoral/board retreat. The nature of our leadership retreats changed dramatically back in 2001. Through a very hard situation we were facing as a church and leadership, we abandoned our typical Spring…
It Only Takes One
One who will hear the call. One who will acknowledge the devastation caused in the Church by turning away from the Lord. One who will take it to heart. One who will act. There is no indication in Scripture what…
It Doesn’t Take All That
I have been on both sides of this issue. On one side, the argument is against loud, impassioned prayers. I’ve heard it argued, “God isn’t hard of hearing. You don’t have to be so loud. If prayer is a conversation,…
Don’t Be Left Out
Luke 3 & 4 is the launch of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was thirty years old (Luke 3:23). He was baptized in water by John, affirmed by the Father, and filled with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). He was full of…
If… Is A Big Word
It’s only two letters of the alphabet. How much difference can two letters make? They are the two most neglected letters in contemporary Christianity. If we see them together in the Bible, we either don’t see them, or we slide…