Last Sunday Molly and I got to go to the Chiefs game at the last minute. On the way in, there were a bunch of protestors on the side of the road. They had a strange mish-mash of signs about how God hated various people, that judgement was near, and that football was an idol. I usually have to fight off anger at stuff like this because of how terribly it misrepresents God. However, as I … Read More
Listening to Understand
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 The Holidays are almost here, and if you’re like many people, you may end up in an unwanted tradition: the family argument. Getting together can be lots of fun but can also cause some tension. I wanted to share a simple principle for helping us communicate better, not just during the … Read More
The Wonder of the Incarnation
About 2000 years ago a miracle happened. We celebrate it on Christmas. I’ve loved Christmas since I was a kid. We got to sing special songs, unwrap presents, and on Christmas Eve, we held candles and tried not to burn the church down. For a long time, I think I missed the main point. I’m not talking about forgetting about Jesus and embracing commercialism. That’s certainly a problem, but I understood all that. I missed … Read More
What Does Romans 8:28 Actually Mean?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 My wife and I enjoy the show Master Chef. It’s about home cooks competing to produce top restaurant quality meals. They’re judged by professional, celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey. One of the common competitions on the show is the “Mystery Box Challenge.” Each contestant is given a box full of a mystery … Read More
The Importance of Believing in Miracles
Do you believe in miracles? By that I mean, do you believe that the laws of nature can be violated by a supernatural God who intervenes in human history? What we believe about this is more important than you might think and is influenced heavily by our collective history. A side effect of the Reformation was that large swathes of Protestantism eventually rejected belief in all supernatural phenomena. This rejection, in conjunction with the Enlightenment, gave … Read More