As I sat down with my family recently for our annual viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas this year, I was prompted to think about our culture’s and my own sense of entitlement associated with Christmas. The entitlement of the phenomenally unkind children in Charles Shultz’s story is meant to […]
When I hear the word “fasting,” I often think, oh no, I can’t enjoy my favorite entrées and desserts. And when my pastor invites the congregation to fast and pray, it may create a few concerns among people with dietary and medical restrictions. According to Matthew 6:16-18, to “fast” means […]
One thing I do with my children regularly is memorize hymns. This month, we are singing They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love. Singing this song daily, along with the recent sermons from 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, has caused me to think about what it means that others […]
I confess to being an occasional ear hustler. I am intrigued with how we connect (or not) through conversation. From a child’s incessant whining for a parent’s attention to the nervous banter between a couple on a first date. To borrow from the commercial, I know a thing or two […]
We may know the destination or outcome, but not specifically the process associated with the journey. In re-reading the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50), I was reminded of how God blessed Joseph with dreams and the ability to interpret his dreams and those of others. Joseph emphatically identified God as […]
It was 1968 and I was in the 4th grade. My parents had just moved the family to the Oak Park community of Sacramento from the State of Bakersfield. (Yes, technically, Bakersfield lies geographically within California but…well, those that are familiar with “B-town” know what I mean.) Even for a […]
“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, […]
I recently read an article that attempted to make sense from the nonsense surrounding the events in Charlottesville. As one writer penned to the POTUS’ response to Saturday, “…it’s not simply a political crisis. It’s a moral one too.” I submit, it’s a moral crisis first, second and only. There’s […]
What unites us as friends, family and most importantly believers in Christ our Lord and Savior? We generally share common backgrounds or interests with our friends. For example, we may have grown up in the same city, attended school together or grew up in nearby neighborhoods. And friends typically share […]
The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols. —Acts 17:16 A first-century, nascent movement was underway, based on the life and teaching of a little-known Jew from Nazareth that had the audacity to say that […]
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