A father dragged his college-aged son into the office of one of his professors, Dr. Campolo. The father was angry. It turns out that the son had spent his time at college in a different way than the father had intended.The father said: “I sent him to college to get a good education, to make … Continue reading Being Christian—up to a point
following Jesus
If you’re sitting on the fence
Have you ever heard the expression that someone is “sitting on the fence”? It’s about being neutral, or perhaps being slow to make a decision about something. With that in mind, let me say this: You can’t follow Jesus if you’re sitting on the fence. The exact expression “follow me” occurs twenty times in the Gospels. For example, … Continue reading If you’re sitting on the fence
Many antichrists have come
What do Nero, Napoleon, Stalin and Hitler all have in common? They were all accused of being the Antichrist. The apostle John uses the word “Antichrist” five times in his letters. But what does it mean? The Louw-Nida Greek lexicon defines the term like this: “one who is opposed to Christ, in the sense of usurping … Continue reading Many antichrists have come
Keep calm and…
During World War Two the British government commissioned posters to keep the public focused on key ideas. They were written with white letters on a red background. There was a crown at the top.One said: “Freedom is in peril. Defend it with all your might.” A second one said: “Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution, … Continue reading Keep calm and…
The point isn’t to fit in
Times are changing. Let me share some Canadian statistics. Even though there are people who subscribe to this devotional from other countries, I’m sure most can see this trend playing out in their own context in varying degrees. In the past 60 years, the percentage of people identifying as Christian has gone from 96% to … Continue reading The point isn’t to fit in
Sacrifice is giving up good things for great things
Jesus calls us to live sacrificially. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). But what is sacrifice? Here’s one way to think about it. Sacrifice is giving up something good for something great. For example, if you are fasting, you sacrifice a good … Continue reading Sacrifice is giving up good things for great things
Followers of the Way, not of the moment
In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably … Continue reading Followers of the Way, not of the moment
The trustworthy voice of Jesus
Donald McCullough recalls being in the city of Edinburgh a few weeks before beginning his doctoral studies. He was new to the city so didn’t know his way around very well. One evening he went to a concert at Usher Hall. After it finished he headed out into the night, but it was now dark … Continue reading The trustworthy voice of Jesus
There’s no better time spent
Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd.” His sheep “follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:11, 4) They follow his voice because they know him and because they trust him. In light of this, they do not listen to the voice of a stranger (verse 5). Thinking of the shepherd-sheep relationship, Neil Anderson … Continue reading There’s no better time spent
The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus
Several years ago I led a workshop about faith formation in children and youth. ‘What can we do or say to help them trust and follow Jesus?’ Is there anything more important? No, there isn’t. Here’s where we landed. The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus is to trust and … Continue reading The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus
