It is good to gather – in 12-Step meetings, church fellowships, and other groups. But is it possible that we have become what Francis Chan calls “professional gatherers”? Read the following quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In Life Together, he wrote, “Whoever cannot be alone should beware of community. Such people will only do harm to…
At the conclusion of the morning service, the congregation filed out of the building. As he passed by the pastor, one attendee told him, “Pastor, you must be smarter than Albert Einstein!” The pastor thanked the man for his praise, but for the next seven days, he wondered what the comment meant. So the next…
Brene Brown said, “Perfection is the enemy of good.” Our task is not to find perfection, but progress. After all, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Even the great apostle Paul admitted, “Not that I have already attained this or am already perfect, but I…
A park ranger found a man in the woods, chewing on a cooked bald eagle. “You know that bird is an endangered species, don’t you? I’m going to have to bring you in.” The ranger brought the man to court, where the man pleaded for forgiveness. “Your honor, I was starving, and lost in the…
Sometimes, blessing is followed by darkness. And darkness is followed by blessing. Consider the story of Abraham. God had promised him a son, a nation, and a legacy. But in the short run, Abraham got this: “When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham; and behold, horror and great darkness fell…
For every person who (a) has an infant, and (b) wants clean floors, Kenji Kawakami is your hero. The Japanese inventor created “Baby Mops.” His creation is quite simple, but effective. The contraption consists of a bunch of tiny mops, which can be attached to the baby’s clothing, so that when the infant crawls across…
God loves the man who has it all together, who spends an hour each day in prayer, memorizes Scripture, teaches a Bible study, and has never looked at pornography a single time. But get this – God loves the most porn addicted, self-inflicted, truly wicked abomination of a man who ever lived, just as much…
The year was 1990. Hugh Gallagher entered an essay contest in search of a college scholarship. His assignment was to highlight his personal achievements from the first 18 years of his life. Among Hugh’s claims: “I write award-winning operas. I often tread water for three days at a time. Using only a hoe and a…
In their song, Jesus, Friend of Sinners, Casting Crowns included the following words: “Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth’s become so hard to see. The world is on their way to you, but they’re tripping over me.” Too often, it is those of us who claim a Christian faith and who claim real sobriety who…
In the middle of Jesus’ public ministry, we find this startling verse: “Many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). I would find that disheartening. My initial response would be to chase after those who had dropped out. Not so with Jesus. In the latter part of John 6, we…