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Hardships Are Not Optional
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each…
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Speaking Well of Others
It won’t happen in this political season, but it’s a nice thought regardless. Just because political operatives don’t want to abide by this rule is no excuse for the Church to ignore it. It could serve us well. As Benjamin Franklin so beautifully put it, “I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of…
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Make His Paths Straight
We are on a journey in our church. This week starts our summer reading. We want to go all the way through the New Testament. This week’s reading is the Gospel of Luke. All of it. The challenge before us is to prepare the way of the Lord. WE need to be prepared. We need to make the way expedient…
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Holy Creation!
Last year this time the word was “hell.” Rob Bell, Mark Galli, Francis Chan… all got in on hell. Now… the buzzword is CREATION. CREATIONISM. DARWINISM. All kinds of things flying around. Must be some new books flying off the presses in the next few months… Have fun.
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Free Downloads of the Common English Bible!
Go to THIS LINK and find out how to download the entire Common English Bible on June 6 or 7 for free. I have blogged on this new translation for several months. It is a refreshing translation that I have found to be great to read. If you have an e-reader, take this opportunity. More about the Common English Bible is…
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The Digital Divide
I blog. I have Facebook. I just got on Twitter. I have a Nook reader. And I’m still not completely on board with digital Bibles and studying. For me, it’s still uneven. I have Logos Bible software, but really need some basic training to get that up and going. I have OliveTree reader for my Nook. The upside for Logos…
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Luke and the Holistic Gospel
One of the strings of conversation I ran into on a Facebook group site that consists of members of my denomination was the thought that Luke’s portrayal of the Spirit was something more than just simply “spiritual.” It was more than signs and wonders. It was also about the whole person. This, of course, raised the ire of a few…
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The Costs are so Clear
We are on our way at our church as we journey to read through the New Testament this summer. Our assignment for next Sunday is the Gospel of Luke. One of the striking movements in Luke is how at the beginning of the Gospel there is such joy at the prospect of following Jesus. Men and women are dropping what…
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Can We Pray for the End of Bondage?
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”…
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Reading in Community
Our church is gearing up to read the New Testament together. We are beginning with Luke. The challenge for us will be to read in community. It’s not just reading alone and then hearing a sermon. We want to set up opportunities to learn from each other. We can structure our Sunday morning service to reflect more on this model.…
