On walking the Way

Another new year has begun, and with it comes the hope of a fresh start. Over the holidays, I spent a bit of time thinking about tradition. Traditions are important. They give our lives rhythm, but more than that, traditions anchor us to history. They give us a sense of where we have been and serve as reference points from which we calculate our path to the future. The New Year is one such traditi...

Christmas has a way of filling the air with anticipation. For me, it is a time filled with memories. A time with family and friends and singing. A time of warmth in a cold world. As a child, it was a time of mystery, of wondering what Christmas would bring for me. Although I have to admit to being thoroughly carnal about it as a child, there was still something about it that seemed much bigger tha...

When people talk about Jesus, they often regard him as a simple person with a simple purpose. And often, sometimes comically, they transform him into the person they want him to be rather than the person he is. However, as we will see today, even the early prophecies of Jesus describe a person who is anything but simple. Goodness, wisdom, power, and authority are not things that fit neatly into a...

Christmas is a time of hope. Hope is the fuel that gives us the courage to go on. Hope provides us with the strength to fail and keep going. Without it, we wither and die. I wish that were an overstatement, but the older I get, the more convinced I am that — without hope, everything else collapses. Today, we read from Isaiah, who saw hope for the future nearly 2800 years ago and shared it with us...

Thanksgiving is a holiday that, like most, is faithfully observed but often underappreciated. For Christians, giving thanks is both a privilege and a discipline. It is a privilege because God, in His grace through Jesus, has forgiven us and made a way for us to know Him and fellowship with Him again. God has given us everything from our very existence to our daily bread. And thankfulness is the on...

Having just survived another election cycle in the U.S. we now wait during that awkward time between regimes. Some are hopeful, even exuberant, and others are bordering on despair. So it goes with every election. History is cold and hard. Kings and kingdoms rise and fall like the changing seasons. In all of this, where do we find hope and security? Do we enthusiastically embrace each new regime as...

When help seems just beyond our reach There are times when we hear of people having amazing experiences with God - only to find that when we try to have such an experience, the way to God seems blocked, and the help we seek is out of our reach. This was the situation of the four men in this story. They had a friend with such profound needs that they were desperate to see Jesus, believing that if t...

Every once in a while, something completely ordinary happens that sets me back on my heels and causes me to rethink everything. A few weeks ago, I had just such a moment at church. As I was checking my phone and reading the bulletin, waiting for the service to start, I was tapped on the shoulder by a sweet older lady who asked if I would give the cup of water she had to the lady at the end of my p...

I have been trained in multiple evangelism techniques over the years, and although I am not a gifted evangelist, I try. It has become clear to me over the years that my work and gifts function better in the second wave than in the first. I am most effective when I follow evangelists and teach the new, the young, and the immature what the bible says and how to interpret it correctly. My goal is to...

Think back to a time in your life when Jesus was close, his truth was clear in your mind, and your heart was searching for more ways to love him and others. Maybe it was a time of transition: a new faith, a new spouse, a new child, a new town, a new church, a new job. It was a time of seemingly endless possibility. God was close and on His throne. Was that time nothing more than misinterpreted emo...

The question, “Why is the world so evil?” has challenged us all at one point or another. War snaps this question into laser-sharp focus. Talking about war from a safe distance is one thing. Talking to those whose home is no longer a part of their country is another. Discussing the politics of the war gives no comfort as people bow on the street in honor and prayer as yet another funeral procession...

There are times when the reality of my fragile, tiny, and helpless condition snaps into clear focus. This week has been one of those times for me. As we pack to go to the other side of the world, the realization of all that can go wrong at any time overwhelms me. So I pray, and as I pray, I am overwhelmed with another thought: the realization that God, the creator and source of all things, communi...

Today, I am going to discuss a passage that even unbelievers like to quote—or, as we will see, misquote. It is a powerful passage that tells us a lot about God’s love and our response to it. This is part of a longer passage where Jesus explains how we are to love those who can do nothing to help us, to give with no thought of repayment, and even to love our enemies. Today, I will focus on three ve...

The first lesson every Christian learns, and we have to learn it before we can even be a Christian, is that I am evil at the core, and it is my fault. I am not only wicked but helpless to change in any significant way. I can’t fix the things I have broken. I can’t undo the things I have done. I can’t “unoffend” God or anyone else I have offended or hurt. At our best, we cover it up with culturally...

I have talked about the Kingdom of God often on this podcast. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God a lot as well. But Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God in the same way he taught about most things — indirectly. He gave parables, metaphors, and similes about the Kingdom and what it’s like but never really said what it is. Let’s start with one of my favorites from the Sermon on the Mount. Therefo...

Recently, I have had heartbreaking conversations with people who have suffered trauma and loss in their lives. As sad as these stories were, there was something more troubling than the suffering and loss they experienced. It was their shattered faith. For various reasons, some known only to themselves, their losses had crushed their faith. Making their loss doubly tragic. Today, I want to look bri...

We live in a world of injustice and lies. We all wish this was not so, and we all want it to change. In our current culture, words change their meaning every day, making even a simple conversation anything but simple. We talk past each other at ever-increasing volume demonizing those we don’t like or agree with while cheering blindly for those we do. We watch as the guilty are set free and the inn...

Our world is a fearful place at this moment in history. The world has been here before, but that doesn’t calm our fears. As we read history, wars, economic crises, and political instability are common themes. But reading about them and living through them are two very different prospects. The natural response of many as they face a crisis is to look for a savior. But ironically and sadly, many loo...

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that in recent days, words have spilled over into violence in America(again). After the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump and the murder and mayhem associated with it, the words have not stopped. In some ways, they have intensified as the blame is assigned, then shifted and assigned again, breeding suspicion and more blame....

The public ministry of Jesus was one of seemingly ceaseless travel, preaching, healing, and serving. Along the way, he offered hope and peace to all who would follow him. This is probably best summed up in the following verses. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find res...

When Jesus began his ministry, his message was simple. Repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near. He also prophesied against the cities that refused to repent. The Kingdom of God is not destined to coexist with the kingdoms of this world. The Kingdom of God will instead fully replace the kingdoms of this world one day. Jesus declared after his resurrection that “all authority has been given to...

Anyone who has had children or has ever been a child knows the phrase, “Are you listening to me?”. It’s the kind of thing that parents shout over the noise. When I was young, the noise was my stereo. Now, it is any number of devices, but the problem remains the same. Jesus had the same problem with those who followed him around. They followed him and seemed to be listening, but did they hear anyth...

Christianity has altered Western culture in many ways. You could say that Western culture depends on certain Christian ideas. However, I would never say that Western culture is Christian. Christianity is recognizing that Jesus is the king—forever. The kingdom of God is not a democracy. No one can send a delegation to Jesus to advocate for a change in the laws, nor can we vote for a new king. God i...

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. These are the first words of Genesis. The gospel of John starts with: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But how has God revealed Himself to us? Today, I want to look at the four primary avenues of revelation God has chosen to use to reveal himself to us. Though Creation (General Revelation) The...

A child does not turn two on their second birthday. They turn two the day they first say “no.” Every parent knows that. We normally see the process of growing up as a quest for independence culminating in the teenage years - when things really get strange. Growing up spiritually takes a somewhat different path. To grow up spiritually, our thinking must mature while somehow maintaining our childlik...