There is a difference in watching “for” and watching “with”. Most of the time we are watching “for” God to reply, respond, act, etc. In the midst of Gethsemane grief, Jesus asked His disciples to “watch with” Him (Matthew 26:40). Unable to do so, they opted instead for a few moments of sleep, […]

What does it mean to be “called to worship?” Following a week to be forgotten, a pastor stepped to the pulpit at the beginning of the Sunday worship service and proclaimed, “I’ve had a terrible week and I don’t feel like calling you to worship, so why don’t you call yourselves to worship.” After […]

Does your faith ever falter? Apparently Timothy’s faith was on the verge of doing just that. Paul wrote to young Timothy concerning faith and said some, in “good conscience”, had rejected the faith and thus had “suffered shipwreck” (1 Tim. 1:19). It is important to understand that a shipwreck is not necessarily fatal. […]

Recent studies have shown that as high as 70% of young Protestant adults between the ages of 18 and 22 have stopped attending church regularly. How could this happen? We tried so hard to reach them – with slick slogans, casual worship clothing, shorter sermons accompanied with power point pictures and video clips, […]

My son is with Homeland Security and just completed four months of advanced training. At his recent graduation, the speaker said, “Hope is not a survival strategy.” We Christians talk much of hope. To hear it spoken in a negative context got my attention. So I thought through it again. Paul wrote, […]