In April 1958 a young Korean student attending university in Philadelphia wrote a letter to his parents back home. After putting it in the mailbox he was brutally attacked by eleven teenage boys and died. The city was outraged. The district attorney got authority to try the boys as adults so they could receive the … Continue reading Generosity or animosity
Podcast
God is bigger
According to an old legend, many years ago when spies were taken captive by the Persian Army and brought in to be killed, the general did something strange. He would give the spy an option. He could choose to face the firing squad, or he could choose to be subject to whatever was behind a … Continue reading God is bigger
A nap and a snack
You want to be faithful. You want to be loving. But if you’re always running on empty that will be hard to do. It will also be difficult if you’re always giving and giving and giving. Yes, giving is good. It can be a blessing when we give our time and talent to help others. … Continue reading A nap and a snack
A love-first mentality
“Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). Jesus had a love-first mentality. Therefore, we also want to have a love-first mentality. Love isn’t wishy-washy or wobbly. It is a resolute commitment to seeking the good of others. It honours God and is often self-sacrificing. But it takes some work. Our default setting is to take … Continue reading A love-first mentality
Unofficial leadership
The great physicist Albert Einstein once said: “The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” True! We need better thinking to get better results. But what is “better”? It’s certainly not coercion, power-lust, or blind conformity. I think we’ve had enough … Continue reading Unofficial leadership
Don’t let your eyes deceive you
In the movie Poseidon, there is a dramatic scene where fancy people are in a ship which flips on the water. Inside the ship those who go ‘up’ the stairs are actually going deeper down. It is only the people who realize what is happening and who go against conventional logic who do the right … Continue reading Don’t let your eyes deceive you
Follow through
In this series of devotionals we’re talking about how to get the most out of a sermon. Since sermons are a major part of Sunday worship, and since you attend as often as you can, they are going to be a significant part of your discipleship. Here’s one more tip: Follow through on the applications. … Continue reading Follow through
Pray for yourself… and the preacher
In this series of devotionals we’re talking about how to get the most out of a sermon. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you listen to a lot of sermons. Yes, you certainly do other things like worship, read the Bible, pray, love your neighbours and serve others. But you also listen to sermons. Here … Continue reading Pray for yourself… and the preacher
God’s book
If you’re a follower of Jesus you listen to a lot of sermons. Would you rather squander that time or benefit from something God might be saying to you? I’m a preacher, so this topic is a bit awkward! The reason I share this isn’t because I’m fantastic (I’m not), but because God has set … Continue reading God’s book
An eternal anchor
In a prayer to his Father in John 17:3 Jesus provides a definition of eternal life: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John Knox was a well-known Scottish theologian who had a big impact on the church. When he was on … Continue reading An eternal anchor
