Paranoia is a thought process heavily influenced by anxiety or fear. Many people minister by paranoia – fearful of what someone might think or say. In my younger days, working hard to be liked and fearing rejection, I practiced ministry through paranoia. Basically I liked to be liked and I feared failure. Jesus, on the…
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, watching and…
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 a…
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. One can…
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, upbeat music…
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, “Hope that is…
“Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” That was the question posed by the new Christian, although the question is not unique to new Christians. First of all, there is no such thing as unanswered prayer, in spite of the old hymn text by B.B. McKinney. Sometimes, God says “No” or “Wait” but those are answers….
A parenthesis is an explanatory word or clause inserted in a sentence for clarity, focus, direction, limitation. However, parentheses are not limited to grammar. Sometimes life gives you a parenthesis. Don’t resist the parentheses of life. If Moses had rebelled at a forty-year dessert parenthesis, we might not have the Ten Commandments. If Paul had…
I was at my seat in time for the National Anthem and a baseball game featuring a fireworks display following. National Anthem singers do have to audition but some slip through the cracks, or in this case, the music staff. It most definitely was the situation on that night. I’m sure the singer’s resume was…
My golf ball looks exactly like the one the pros use. It’s round and white and has dimples. It is even a Titleist ProV1. However, while the ball is similar, the similarities between my golf game and that of the professional ends there. There is a major difference. It is called “lie” but does not…