Today is Ash Wednesday, the official start of Lent—the 40-day period of preparation (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. Some Christians attend services where ashes are put on their foreheads. In a pandemic, these services will either be skipped or modified. Ashes symbolize our mourning and regret for sin. They also symbolize our mortality. Recall … Continue reading Labourers or loiterers?
purpose
Am I right with God and walking rightly?
Here are two very important questions: --Am I right with God?--Am I walking rightly with God? Even if you use different wording, these are the kinds of questions that are most likely bouncing around in your head as you paddle down the river of life. As you think about how you might answer them, consider … Continue reading Am I right with God and walking rightly?
God uses crooked sticks
Broken. Bruised. Uncertain. Imperfect. Flawed. Deficient. Maybe you can relate to a few of those words. Maybe they describe something challenging from your past—or from your present. Today I’m here to tell you that “God uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines.”* That’s something that was said by a church father named Ignatius. As the … Continue reading God uses crooked sticks
Drowning in the oceans of pleasure?
This week many people are mourning the death of Ravi Zacharias. He was a well-known apologist. An apologist is someone who is skilled at making a reasoned defense of something—in this case, Christianity. He had a sharp mind and a compassionate heart. Although I never met him, I’ve watched several of his videos and read … Continue reading Drowning in the oceans of pleasure?
Meaning in the minutia
The great artist Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling in the Vatican. It took several years and included 400 figures and 9 scenes! A friend noticed all the details Michelangelo was putting into the corners of the chapel ceiling—corners that were incredibly far away and therefore difficult for the naked eye to see. “No one … Continue reading Meaning in the minutia
You complete the broken statue
In 2007 The Denver Post reported a story about a 22-foot statue of Jesus. During a storm, lighting struck and cut off Jesus’ hands and feet! The nuns who took care of it were asked if or when they could replace the hands and feet. They weren’t really sure since they relied on donations. Fair … Continue reading You complete the broken statue
Don’t shortchange your life
Talking about the return of Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11-12). But what does it mean to be holy? Something that is holy is set apart; it is made for a special, … Continue reading Don’t shortchange your life
Simply showing up
Yesterday I talked about being useful, and asked you this question: How can we be useful to Jesus as his hands and feet in a hurting world by being proactive about the well-being of others? Usefulness is the hands and feet of faithfulness. Sometimes these opportunities to be useful arise through specific initiatives or programs … Continue reading Simply showing up
The power of being useful
A lot of people struggle with their purpose in life. It’s a complicated issue, but one of the reasons people struggle is because they’re not sure if God exists. Historian Carl L. Becker said that humans must be looked at as “little more than a chance deposit on the surface of the world, carelessly thrown … Continue reading The power of being useful
How to handcuff the present
I’m no stranger to nostalgia. I like looking back and remembering the good ole days. But is there a point when looking back too much is harmful? I believe that if you glorify the past you handcuff the present. In other words, if you put too much stock in what has happened in the past, … Continue reading How to handcuff the present
