Archive for the ‘Biblical Thoughts’ Category
I’ve been reflecting on the resurrection this week. I like the idea of resurrection! Something dies, and then is miraculously raised to life in less than three (or sometimes four) days! There are times when I’ve lost someone or lost something (a friend, a dream, a ministry, a job) and […]
Read More...Last month I turned 45—that was a shift (I’m now closer to 50 than 40) This week, my life is about to change again. Drastically. On Saturday I’ll serve my last day as a denominational overseer, and then, on Sunday morning, I will be installed, and preach, at the church […]
Read More...In 1986 Tom Bodett first delivered the line “we’ll leave the light on for you” in a Motel 6 commercial (actually he ad-libbed that line, and boy did it stick). The phrase reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas stories. There was a man who faithfully took his […]
Read More...Not long ago I heard someone say that Jesus was often called the Good Shepherd, but never was called the Good Leader. Of course, Jesus didn’t shy away from leadership. He understood and made it clear that He was Master and Lord. Even so, He very often called Himself a […]
Read More...The other day I was catching up with my Bible reading plan after having fallen behind in the Old Testament a bit (that never happens to you, right?). The realization that I had missed a good portion of Zachariah made me decide to just set aside some time to sit […]
Read More...“Embrace the process” The first time I can recall hearing those words I was a 22 year-old youth pastor going through a difficult time. I can’t remember what that challenge was, but I sure remember the advice because everything in my soul was repelled by those words. How could I […]
Read More...“In the beginning God created…” (Gen 1:1 NIV) The very first thing we learn about God in the Bible is that He is creative—and for the first 26 verses we see God at work masterfully creating an unfathomable cosmos, life-sustaining systems, invisible atoms and everything else imaginable (and unimaginable). Then, […]
Read More...The other day I took a look at the details of my job description and was intimidated. I started to wonder if I could actually ever accomplish all the conditions set out for me—then I began to think about the other 13 District Supervisors who are called to the same […]
Read More...“Are we there yet?” Every parent knows these four dreaded words all too well. This summer as my family drove 3,000 miles up and down the west coast, Deborah and I often heard some version of this refrain. So we decided to have a little fun with the kids: We […]
Read More...“Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon” (John 4:6) The other day I was feeling particularly tired—actually a little worn out; the incredible journey that the Lord has had me on over the last season […]
Read More...King Josiah had a major mess on his hands. He had inherited leadership over a nation that was in spiritual shambles, had no clear vision, and was distracted by all kinds of things that took the place of God. A major shift needed to happen (2 Kings 22-23). Twenty-six year […]
Read More...Here is some sage advice I received this morning from a pastoral mentor in the faith: “Remind the churches you oversee to to obedient and subject to the rulers and authorities, and to be prepared to do whatever is good, to slander nobody (even—especially—those they disagree with), to be peaceable, […]
Read More...I’m watching the tornado coverage from Oklahoma tonight, and I’m angry! Yes, I’ve searched my feelings and realized that the emotion that best describes me right now, a handful of hours into this crisis, is anger. A few short months ago, a man carried a gun into an elementary school […]
Read More...In a couple of days—on “Palm Sunday”— many of our churches will celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story. And all of them but John include the following incident: As (Jesus) approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two […]
Read More...The Storm… That’s the ominous title given in my Bible to Acts 27:13-26. The Shipwreck… That’s what they called verse 27-44, which is even more foreboding, isn’t it? The question isn’t whether we will encounter storms or shipwrecks that impact our ministries, but what we will do when it happens? I’m […]
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