Life would be much easier if people were all good or all evil, wouldn’t it? We could place people comfortably in one category or the other and respond to them accordingly. In the wake of the controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong, I am reminded of just how messy people (all people; you and me included) truly … Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship …
A Different Kind of Health and Wellness Gospel
How the Gospel Helped Me to Lose Weight and Live a Healthy Life On May 22nd, 2009 I reluctantly embarked on a journey. At my all-time highest weight of 294 lbs, my wife encouraged me to sign up for Weight Watchers (or WW as we abbreviate it) online with her. Basically, we would track our … Continue reading
FOR Christ or WITH Christ?
If life seemed too stressful, too complex, or too hard, I knew that a visit to Grandma would cure it. Life was simple for my Grandma. I never saw her drive. I never saw her cook. She could hardly see, hardly hear (unless I yelled in her ear), and spent most of her time sitting … Continue reading
iPhone 5 Superpowers
This week I got the new iPhone 5 (be jealous). My wonderful wife sacrificed her AT&T upgrade to apprehend this coveted device as a gift for my birthday. Ringing in my ears were Jesus’ words, ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his (cell phone upgrade) for his friends’ (John 15:13 … Continue reading
Drowning
Drowning. This racist man is not only metaphorically sinking down because of the weight of his guilt, but literally submerged by the torrent of the sea. His soul gasps for grace while his body gasps for air. All pretension and posturing of ethnic pride is washed away by the certainty of death which makes every … Continue reading
Key to Leadership: Humility
Leadership guru John Maxwell places humility as the highest trait of the most effective ‘Level 5’ leaders. Bradley Owens, assistant professor of organization and human resources at the University at Buffalo School of Management says that humility is a powerful predictor to the success of a company or organization.[1] Jim Collins researched qualities of the … Continue reading
Good Samaritan and Me
Writhing on the ground from a fall, I happened upon a middle-aged man and woman who had fallen into the street during rush hour. Cars zoomed pass narrowly avoiding making the couple tragic road kill. I stopped just shy of them, turned on my emergency flashers and asked what had happen and if they needed … Continue reading
Apologetic Character
Apologetics is the rational case for Christianity through offering arguments and/or evidence for its truth, defending it against objections, and responding to competing claims. 1 Peter 3:15 says “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense (literally give apologetic) to anyone who asks you for a reason for … Continue reading
Work of Art
Colorful yet indiscriminate scribbles on construction paper. These were the priceless works of art that “Papa” hung all around his workshop. My wife’s grandfather was a tough yet tender man who loved, more than anything, his sweet granddaughter. Because of that, he also loved the masterpieces she produced just for him. They weren’t special as … Continue reading