Jesus’ third post resurrection statement was made during his interaction with two pilgrims on the road to Emmaus. You can find the story in Luke 24:13-35. The narrative describes two disciples who had observed all of the events in Jerusalem during the first passion week. While on the journey home, they were joined by a…
Category: Faith
The Goal of Faith is Clarity
“The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty.” — Paul Tillich For many years I equated faith with certainty, a kind of “know so” posture that could rest in having all the answers. I began with certainties about who God is and my eternal destination in heaven. From those two…
The Fourth Man, Part 2
The three young men demonstrated a risky faith by challenging the king’s nutritional demands. Their proposal proved to everyone that they had the better diet. But in Daniel 3, their faith shifted from risky to radical as they proposed that they had a better God. Daniel 3 is the fertile soil of children who grow…
The Fourth Man
I grew up in church, where Bible stories were plentiful. There were stories of boys defeating giants and nations crossing seas on dry ground while enemies were detained by pillars of fire. Old, crusty prophets stood their ground against entitled pagan kings and were fed by ravens. These stories were formative in my concept of…
Scarcity Thinking vs. Abundance Thinking
The COVID-19 pandemic has many thinking about scarcity. I can remember my dad tell stories about rationing during World War II. While we’re not there (yet), there are those I talk to who have concerns about the availability of toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, hand soap, and hand sanitizer. These conversations reminded me of what Michael…
Lazarus
The following essay is a guest post by my daughter Shannon. It is a thoughtful and prophetic perspective on faith through the eyes of a millennial. “So, what’s it like being a pastor’s kid?” I always laugh awkwardly after that. To answer the question: It’s fine, really. I don’t mind it, not other than the…
The Truth About Breakthroughs
Like me, you started out riding a tricycle. Then the day came when you moved up to a two wheeled bike with training wheels. With a little confidence and achieving a bit of balance, the training wheels came off and you rode your bike without the training wheels. Finally, the day came when you received…
Meet The Real Hero:: 2
When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face…
Meet The Real Hero
My guess is that you had a hero when you were growing up. Maybe it was an athlete or a musician. Or an actor or some other entertainer. Perhaps it was a teacher or a coach. Your hero could have been a parent or an older sibling. I think those influences served us well, helping…
Make Your Mark:: 3
As far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to change the world. This is a sentiment that is shared by many people I know. There’s something compelling about leaving a legacy or making a mark, if you will. I think that many are deterred from such lofty aspirations because they automatically assume that changing…
