“Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded” (2 John 3-4,…
Month: February 2014
Pergamum: The Measure of Truth
Pergamum was an interesting church. Located about 55 miles north of Smyrna, it was known for education, housing the second largest library in the world at that time. It was also a place of religious pluralism. There were six major temples in Pergamum, three devoted to the gods of Greek mythology and three dedicated to…
Smyrna: The Measure of Faithfulness (part 2)
Jesus never spoke of discipleship without referencing the cross. Perhaps the most familiar of these references is found in Luke 9:23, where Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (NLT). Often I hear people apply this…
Smyrna: The Measure of Faithfulness
One of the reasons for the rapid rise of Hitler’s influence in Germany was his manipulation and use of religion. Hitler understood that if he could persuade the pastors of Germany’s churches he could increase the tempo of his plan for world domination. Playing upon the Jew’s role in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, he…
Ephesus: The Measure of Love (part 2)
The Ephesian church must have looked like a beehive. They labored with intensity to advance their mission and ministry, all the while supporting each other in the face of persecution and keeping a discerning eye out for doctrinal error. By every human metric they would have been deemed a successful church. With the exception, of…
Three Faith and Culture Trends to Watch for in 2014
Here’s the newest research report released by Barna Group on American’s trust levels related to institutions to look for in 2014. You can read the report HERE.
Ephesus: The Measure of Love
Last week I received the request from our denomination to submit our annual report. Each year we voluntarily submit all kinds of data, including attendance, membership changes, contributions, missions support and more. Its not complicated to complete the one page form, and we always submit it before deadline. Most denominations have similar practices of reporting,…
Daily Rituals
A lot of people think creativity comes in waves of inspiration where poetry, music and art just “happen.” According to Mason Curry’s book, Daily Rituals, nothing could be farther from the truth. Curry found an interest in the work habits of creatives and researched the daily work rituals of 161 artists, composers, poets, writers and…
Keys That Matter
One of my simple life objectives is to carry as few keys as possible. I carry my car key and on a separate key ring I carry the keys to my house, office, and mailbox. When I was a kid I wanted my own set of keys. After my persistent persuasion, my father rounded up…
Not Your Typical Jesus
The mind thinks in pictures. Let me explain. Close your eyes and think of the word “pie.” What image is in your mind? A piece of pie? A pie chart? If you heard the word pie rather than reading it, your mind may have thought of the Greek letter and associated it with either a…