Jesus has come to redeem our broken lives from sin. But He did not come just to save us from something. Redemption also involves a purpose…a saving for, if you will. Zechariah concludes his prophetic hymn of praise for Christ with these words, “He has given us the privilege, since we have been rescued from…
Month: December 2010
Digital Nativity
On Recycling and Redemption
I have a love-hate relationship with recycling. Our local trash company has gone to extreme measures to help families with the task. They provide a box for containers as well as a roll-out dumpster with a helpful label inside the lid to help families classify their recyclable items. In the words of Kermit the Frog,…
New Research on Faith from Barna Research
During this morning’s reading I came across research posted by Barna Group which describes six faith trends that have emerged in 2010 that we all need examine. I want to encourage you to take a few moments and read this carefully. There are many who ruffle at Barna’s unvarnished observations, but in the 20+ years I’ve…
Race to Nowhere
The New York Times has recently published a movie review for Race to Nowhere: The Overscheduled Child. It discusses the pressures that today’s children face to build resumes in a competitive educational environment. Click for the article.
Sweet Baby Jesus
I think babies are great! Lisa and I had three, and we enjoyed being parents of newborns. Holding each of my children was a very gratifying experience, and if I were to be confessional, there was a feeling I had with each that wished they could stay that way. Realistically, however, if a baby stays…
The Mystery of Christmas:: 4
When I was a kid, my mother went through a phase where she was “into” jig saw puzzles. She would purchase a puzzle and spread the pieces face up on the table. Then, she would prop the box up across the workspace which displayed the picture that the puzzle was to make. Working those puzzles…
The Mystery of Christmas:: 3
When God speaks, He expects us to believe his word even though we may not fully understand all of the implications of His word. Mary’s story continues like this, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the…
The Mystery of Christmas:: 2
God’s word always precedes his movement, and when God speaks, we don’t need to be afraid. Consider this—“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God!’” (Luke 1:29-30, NLT) “Don’t be afraid.” Fear is a tricky…
Radical
One of the first Christian books I read that made a profound impact on my life was The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. The foundational premise of the book was that our spirituality was often so anemic that anyone who really walked with God appeared “abnormal.” Nee called readers to return to the radical…
