It is the first day of a new year, and you can tell by looking at social media. Twitter and Facebook are clogged up with quick motivational messages and reminders to make 2014 the best year of your life. These messages may be sentimental, and some are spot on. However, a constant thread runs though…
Tag: discipleship
On contentment
I have a theory. Now mind you, it is just a theory, so perhaps I could be proven wrong. Nevertheless, here it goes: Genuine thankfulness should result in contentment. According to the commentators for the Macy's parade yesterday, an estimated 45 million turkeys were consumed as families across the United States gathered to take part…
On stupid questions and missing the point
The questions we ask say a lot about who we are. Think about it for just a minute. Questions reveal concerns. We rarely ask questions about things that do not concern us. They expose our understanding of things. We have all sat in a classroom where someone raised there hand and asked a question only…
Continue reading ➞ On stupid questions and missing the point
Already, but not yet – Part 4
The message of the kingdom is the mission of the church. Over the last three posts, I have discussed the significance of the kingdom of God, pointed out some common misconceptions, and provided a rough description of this kingdom. The kingdom has already come in one sense, yet in another, it is waiting on its…
Already, but not yet – Part 2
If you do not know what you are fighting for, you are bound to make mistakes. In the last post, I talked about the kingdom of God (or the kingdom of heaven, as the terms are interchangeable in the Bible). The term gets thrown around a lot. We Christian folk are always talking about "kingdom…
When life seems unfair, but really it is not.
The parable of the day laborers has always been difficult for me to comprehend. Perhaps I make it too hard. More precisely, perhaps I do not like what it teaches. In chapter 20 of his gospel account, Matthew retells a parable that Jesus told. In this parable a landowner goes out to find day laborers…
Continue reading ➞ When life seems unfair, but really it is not.
A better way: An alternative to dumping Starbucks
This post is the conclusion to a two-part series. It will probably not make much sense unless you go read the first post: Will I be dumping Starbucks? I concluded the last post by asking if there was a better way to approach cultural issues than this ban on Starbucks. This is how I answered:…
Continue reading ➞ A better way: An alternative to dumping Starbucks
Will I be dumping Starbucks?
Probably not. Now, I can sense the blood pressure rising in most of the people reading this. That is, if it is the usual crew. Yes, I did hear what the CEO of Starbucks said, and I do understand their stance on same-sex marriage. And no, my views on this issue have not changed. My…
On idolatry – Part 2
You are a slave to something. That was the point of my last post, and this post will make a lot more sense, if you go read that one first. In sum, we are created to serve something. Everyone has a master, and they serve it with their life. Last week, I stated that even skeptics,…
Missions is Not About You – Part 2
This is the continuation of a previous post. If you have not read part 1, I would suggest you do so here. So, if missions is not about you, and it is not ultimately about them, then what is the purpose of missions? Why do we go? Simply put, missions is about a name. This…
