Posts Tagged ‘faith’
Having the Faith of Thomas
A couple of times over the past five years, I’ve written about Thomas, and how I think he gets a bad break when he really should command our respect. It must bug me more than I realize, because we’re going to hit that again this week. Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”–…
Read MoreRejoice in My Sufferings? You’re Kidding. Right?
A week ago, Sunday, I had the distinct privilege of delivering the morning sermon for Victory Christian Fellowship in Lynden, WA. The passage I was asked to speak on is 1 Peter 1:3-7. One of the concepts explored during this lesson, pulled from verse six, is that “Life is pain.” In this you greatly rejoice,…
Read MoreWhat About My Doubts?
In the 1990s, there was a band, five o’clock people, a fully-acoustic, coffee-house ensemble that popped up in Portland, Oregon. They were unique and, in many ways, quite good. One of their songs titled Lunar describes the difficult pursuit of faith as “a lunar endeavor” wherein we constantly grasp for daylight but end up with fistfuls of…
Read MoreFaith, Forgiveness & Difficult Commands
This past week, I was engaged in a lively Twitter discussion that revolved around the importance of, effect of, and motivation for obedience – specifically, obedience to the commands of Christ. Obedience is not optional, but neither is it the end in itself. Jesus never said, “Obey me, and here’s the outcome of that,” but…
Read MoreSane in the Midst of the Storm
Donning a look of deep concern, my counselor fixed his eyes on mine and said, “With everything you have been through over the past two years, I am amazed that you are still sane.” Sometimes life astonishes us with its ability to inflict pain. During a keynote address at the 2019 West Coast Christian Writers…
Read MoreThe God Who Never Doesn’t Not Abandon Us
“Irregardless.” Ugh! It’s not even a word. And if it were, it would mean the exact opposite of what those who use it intend that it should mean. I love words. I love playing with words, inventing new words, tweaking existing words, and using words in appropriate, albeit unusual ways. I also love music. I…
Read MoreFive Gems of Salvation
My first year in full-time ministry, I worked with a small church in Ruston, Louisiana. I still recall one Sunday morning, walking into the church building and overhearing a lively discussion going on in one of the adult classrooms. With a loud slap of his hand on the table, a frustrated man shouted, “Dammit! I’m…
Read MoreFaith – What is That Stuff?
Faith is neither static nor instantaneous. It is not something we stumble upon and immediately understand. Neither is faith a one-size-fits-all proposition. In saying this, I am not rejecting the idea of truth and error, but rather acknowledging that faith grows as we grow. The faith that sustains me in my walk as a disciple…
Read MoreLet God Be God While I Be His Child
The beginning of Psalm 46 reads, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV-1984) That would make for an interesting…
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