Over my years of teaching new member classes, I was continually surprised that the creation story caused so little discomfort with people’s public-school training in evolutionary theory. These were adults, and maybe the implications of the modern understanding had not caught up to them, especially the older ones. I was and remain a big fan […]
Read MoreOur staff’s weekly devotions are from a book by an experienced pastor whose one-page reflections are well written and usually right on. A recent one was on advancing the kingdom of God in church life. His description of what should and can happen through grace was well said. But he missed the key ingredient—the Holy […]
Read MoreThe name of a congregation says a lot about who they are and want to be. Of late, newer congregations are showing up with variations of the Church of the Abundant Life. I take this as evidence of the shift that is occurring in American Christian churches. They recognize that the new touchpoint for outreach […]
Read MoreChristianity has a long history of reference to the Ten Commandments to identify sins that need to be exposed, confessed, and repented of. This is basic to a biblical view of sin and salvation. But in the new post-modern culture, holding unbelievers to this standard does not work so well as a starting point. Better […]
Read MorePsychologist Phil McGraw, “Dr. Phil,” made a name for himself in television interviews with advice seekers. His famous question was, “So how’s that working for you?” The usual answer is not very well. Hence the need for advice. “How’s it working for you” is the major touchpoint for relating to others in our modern American […]
Read MoreYou don’t see it when you watch the Rose Parade on TV. The cameras are located on the corner of Orange Grove and Colorado Blvd. We lived just a few blocks away and went regularly. During those years, after the last flowered float came a scruffy-looking bearded man dressed in black carrying a huge pennant […]
Read MoreGrace is the Apostle Paul’s chosen word to explain to others how his life changed on the road to Damascus. He spent many years in Tarsus, his hometown, before being invited to join the public ministries of the Apostles. Imagine him as he was out and about in those earlier years testing words to find […]
Read More“Grace” is a difficult word for us to define today. Sometimes it means graceful, like in the smooth movements of a ballet dancer. Sometimes it means to say grace (thank you) at a meal. But mostly for Bible readers today it means the gift of salvation in Christ, as explained by the Apostle Paul in […]
Read MoreTransformation into a different personality is something God’s Spirit does to and for us. Our part is to spend time in the Spirit’s workshop—believers gathered around God’s Word and sharing its meaning for them. What about a more aggressive approach? What can we do to move ourselves along more quickly to become more like Christ? […]
Read MoreMany still observe the New Year tradition of making resolutions to improve their personal lives, by losing weight or whatever. Most such resolutions usually involve steps they will take to make them feel better about themselves and their lives. They usually want more patience, or better relationships, or just plain more joy in daily living. […]
Read MoreChristmas and Easter. These two church holidays usually see an increase in attendance. Ours is by a factor of three. Such C & E Christians typically don’t show up at weekly services. What is your attitude toward such Christians whose church life is so shallow? One counter-productive approach is to scold them for not being […]
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