What if Christians were more like Christ? What if we lived zestfully, gave sacrificially and loved unconditionally? What if instead of complaining about rights lost, we loved those who wish to wrong us? What if we practiced turning the other cheek? What if instead of seeking legislation to protect our rights, we laid our rights … Continue reading
Perhaps you have heard of him. He tends to pop-up in uncomfortable conversations about religion. He is often used as a trump card to get out of any form of personal responsibility or culpability. Who is he? The ‘MyJesus.’ Never heard of him? Let me give you a few one liners that he is often … Continue reading
I am 6’7″. It’s no secret that I am tall (in fact it’s rather obvious), and the reactions I get when I first meet people range from ‘You’re a big one aint’cha?’ to the ever popular, ‘How’s the weather up there?’ At least once a month I am approached by an elderly person in a … Continue reading
Ask someone to describe Jesus in one word and you may get responses like: Merciful Loving Compassionate Righteous Kind Caring Okay, you get the picture. Our overall perception of Jesus is that of a ‘nice’ guy. A man everyone wants to like. But that’s not the picture that I get when I read the Gospel … Continue reading
We got the note a couple of weeks ago. In the precise handwriting of a second-grade school teacher were the words, “Savannah is having trouble seeing. She needs to have her vision checked.” This was paper-clipped to the school nurse’s report that recommended an immediate visit to an optometrist. We called, made appointments, and last … Continue reading
I would hate to be the complaint department at Facebook right about now. They tweaked their networking site to handle newsfeeds, emails, and other minor things differently and the complaints started popping up on statuses everywhere. The emotions seemed to range from minor irritation to “I’m leaving facebook forever!” I couldn’t help but chuckle at … Continue reading
It has been an interesting week to say the least. On Tuesday, Virginia had it’s largest earthquake in over a century. It was felt from New York to the Carolinas. Fortunately, except for those close to the epicenter, the damage was minimal, but it definitely got the attention of everyone on the east coast who … Continue reading
A week of opposites. That is what last week was to me. We had breakfast at dinner-time and dinner at breakfast time. We ate desserts first and main course after. We walked in lines backwards and turned the daily schedule on it’s head. Why? To illustrate that Jesus wants us to live ‘backwards’ and ‘upside-down’ … Continue reading
Max Lucado has long been a favorite author of mine, though admittedly I read him more to ‘borrow’ illustrations for sermons and lessons than for any other reason. When ‘Max On Life’ came out I was so excited to give it a read I was hoping for perhaps a more intimate look at Lucado’s life … Continue reading
The Sermon on the Mount has been called the “Constitution of Christianity.” Indeed, Christ’s most famous sermon is a treatise on Christian living. In it, Jesus moves from the list of mere “dos” and “don’ts” that defines legalistic religion and addresses the attitudes of our hearts; attitudes that reflect how we feel towards God and … Continue reading
The Pondering Preacher 