Are you going through a severe test? Maybe you have lost your appetite or you haven’t slept well for weeks or months. Fear and panic have replaced quietness and peace. You experience loneliness, discouragement, and isolation, complicated by unending physical or emotional pain. You’ve prayed and asked others to pray as well. And still, there […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Romans
Is God Really in Control?
Do you ever find yourself wondering, “Does God really have things in hand here, or is my life spinning out of control?” I have. Trusting in Jesus Christ at age 18, I soon concluded that if I simply did enough of the right things, my Christian life would be a steady climb toward maturity. Numerous […]
Read MoreHow Do I Survive Losing a Loved One?
Question: My wife died in a car accident about two months ago, and I am really struggling. The church has been helpful, but in recent weeks the phone has stopped ringing and the meals have stopped coming. I try to keep busy with the kids, but when it’s quiet, all I can think about is […]
Read MoreTen Essential Characteristics of a Healing Church
Have you ever walked through your house at night in the dark and jammed your pinkie toe into the side of the sofa? That little toe, the one you never think about, is suddenly your primary focus as you jump up and down because it’s screaming in pain—and your whole body feels it. Amazing—one small […]
Read MoreBe Careful This Christmas
Dr. Seuss wasn’t thinking of me when he wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Charles Dickens would not have asked me to play Scrooge in his story. In spite of what you may read later . . . remember that! I’m not anti-Christmas, nor do I brandish the overused bumper sticker, “Put Christ Back into […]
Read MoreAct Medium
The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Because a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three: Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium. Not bad theology! In different words, […]
Read MoreBeing a True Friend
He was the kind of friend we all wish for. His name was Jonathan, the son of King Saul and heir apparent. However, Jonathan was a loyal friend to David, the Bethlehem shepherd boy whom God had chosen to succeed Saul as king. Saul was fiercely focused on killing David; Jonathan was fiercely devoted to […]
Read MoreBeing Knowledgeable
Slice it any way you wish; ignorance is not bliss. Dress it in whatever garb you please; ignorance is not attractive. Neither is it the mark of humility nor the path to spirituality. It certainly is not the companion of wisdom. On the contrary, ignorance is the breeding ground for fear, prejudice, and superstition . […]
Read MoreHow Can I Manage My Anger?
Question: I’ve been struggling with anger lately. I feel like a smoldering volcano ready to explode at any moment. When I erupt, I say the cruelest things, and then I feel so guilty afterward. I don’t know what’s causing me to be so grouchy, but this seething anger is hurting the people I care about. […]
Read MoreHow Do I Respond to Someone Who Has Hurt Me?
Question: A person I used to call a friend gossiped about me, and I’m so hurt by her actions. I told her something in confidence, and she told my other friends. I can’t even show my face at church. I’m so angry with her. I don’t talk to her anymore, and I know that’s wrong. […]
Read More