Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. – Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV)
Early on in my marriage, I learned it is all too easy to masquerade an accusation as a question. With a harsh tone and a rushed demeanor, the question “Where are my keys?” was really the accusation, “You put my keys somewhere they don’t belong!” With a harsh tone and furrowed brow, the question “Are … Read more
Description: Jesus knows what we’ve been through and he knows what’s ahead. He knows how easy it will be for us to give up. And so in kindness, he offers us a way out; or perhaps to say it a better way, he offers us a way through. He teaches us how to never quit. … Read more
My three year old son has an adversary. She’s redheaded, immature, easily excitable, really fun, slobbery, and super annoying when she wants to play. His adversary also happens to be our golden retriever, Lois. In typical first born fashion, my son wants to be in charge, and Lois is an easy target. “Lois, get off … Read more
Two plain truths can be seen from a simple reading of the Bible: God can do whatever he wants. And God asks us to do things. These two truths make me ask, “Why does God ask for help if he doesn’t need it?” At first glance it seems one of these two truths must be … Read more
When we begin to learn about God’s sovereignty, the temptation is to turn into the “frozen chosen” who use God’s power as an excuse to be lazy. If God is in total control of everything, why pray at all? Certainly this is a multi layered question that could be talked about endlessly in the theological … Read more
When we go to the Bible, laughter is usually not a common response. But is it okay to laugh? Does God have a sense of humor? Is humor biblical? Our relationship with the Holy God must start with a holy fear, with a reverence and recognition of our need for the blood of Christ to … Read more
By God’s grace I have had the opportunity to do missionary work in Liberia, West Africa. During my time there I had the privilege of visiting a lot of orphanages, some on a weekly basis. I saw hundreds of orphan children. Babies, toddlers, children, teenagers. Some well fed, some not so well fed. Some with … Read more
Before I married Bethany and I was still single, I remember having so many questions about singleness. Am I called to singleness? Is being single more holy? How do I know if God wants me to be married or not? Is marriage a command? These questions and more were always lingering in my mind. I … Read more
I like to over complicate things. Let’s go back into my childhood. Let’s take a deep look into my thinking process. Let’s analyze every word this person said to me. Na, Jesus says. Let’s just start with prayer. As I was going through seminary and pursuing a Master’s Degree in pastoral counseling, I was taught … Read more