This is a reprint of a post from December 2022. Humans crave power. These days, it's easy to point to political or business leaders who want to wield power, but all of us want power, control, options, to some degree. Jesus' potential political power is what drew the wise men on a long journey to his side. That story is told in Matthew 2: 1-18. At key moments in the story, we read about deceit, maneuvering and violence. When the magi ask King Herod for directions to the new ki

When I served in youth ministry, one of my principles was that I would never ask a youth to do something I wouldn't do. That's why I would sit on the floor with them instead of sitting in a chair like other adults. When we played a summer camp game involving throwing a squid around (yes, really), I was the referee who held the squid first (and prayed over it with the youth to thank God for its life). When it was time to clean up the youth space, I would grab a broom, sweep a

Mary the mother of Jesus does not have much to say in the gospels. But her longest quotation packs a punch, because it overturns our thinking about God. When pregnant Mary visits her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit wells up within Mary, and she breaks into a praise song called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55, NIV). “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generation

Generation after generation, we find something "wrong" with the next generation coming up. But a new survey of Gen Z does worry me - especially in terms of spirituality. New research from the Survey Center on American Life suggests the Gen Z generation (13-28 years old) is very individualistic. One result is Gen Z'ers are prone to viewing morality and ethics through an individual lens rather than in a social or community context. Among the many observations are that Gen Z ten

Carrollton (TX) police officer Shawn Henderson showed up at Parkland Memorial Hospital full of rage. His best friend, a SWAT officer, had been shot while executing a search warrant. Henderson's gut reaction was the craving for vengeance against the shooter. The SWAT team leader explained to Henderson that after firing his weapon and striking the officer, the shooter immediately threw out his weapon and lifted his hands in surrender. He was cuffed and taken to jail without inc

Have you heard a sermon on gratitude yet in this Thanksgiving season? I've heard two so far, with more to come! I wanted to present a different way to think about gratitude, so I turned to Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's excellent book, "Choosing Gratitude." Wolgemuth sets up several comparisons between gratitude and ingratitude. I thought we could use these as a self-quiz to understand where we are focused on gratitude and where we stumble into ingratitude. A grateful person is a

Faith and fear cannot co-exist. Yet while we claim to be faithful, we cling to our fears, worries, and anxieties. It's hard to experience...

A favored saying these days is, "But God." It's an expression of faith indicating our belief that God prevails and provides, no matter...

One of the issues in focusing on living a seven-day practical faith is that we can get caught up in what we produce. It seems like our...

(Photo belongs to NASA Science) Did you know there is a narrow gap within Saturn's rings? The Keeler Divide, a mere 25 miles wide, exists...

Every now and then, an author writes something that speaks directly to me (I hope I can do the same for you). This week's example comes...

Matthew 5:14,16 "Y ou are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden...In the same way, let your light shine before...

Before a horse is useful as a partner, it must be broken. An unbroken horse does not know how to carry a rider or weight on its back and...

A sports adage is that you have to play through pain. Injury is one thing, but pain is different. Every player feels pain. The ones that...

Psalm 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you in a dry and parched land where...

A kitchen sponge offers a lesson for our faith journey. We've all heard and probably used the phrase "soak up like a sponge." We use it...

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of...

Proverbs 3:5-6 In all your ways submit to him Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own...

Flooding near Kerrville in the Hill Country of Texas In recent days, I've seen commentary from pastors and laity alike on the nature of...

Red letter Bibles show Jesus's words in red I'm frequently asked what I mean when I say we must live a seven-day practical faith. While I...