Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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I learned a lot from an almost-career-ending mistake I made very early in my ministry. I was in my first solo appointment. My bishop, W. T. Handy, Jr., had made a couple of statements I strongly disagreed with. I wrote a letter to my immediate boss, the District Superintendent, that outlined my reasons in fairly …
If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God. — Romans 14:8 I cringe at the thought of taking a long flight. That’s because I’m at the mercy of forces beyond my control. Bad weather, mechanical problems, …
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. — Matthew 9:36 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick. — Matthew 14:14 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him. — Matthew …
Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? — Matthew 6:26 Being of the AARP variety, complete with my retirement card, I can title this meditation the way I did. …
Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” — John 3:3 I started out as, and still consider myself to be, a “born again” Christian. But that phrase has changed and expanded a bit over the decades. The default setting is that, when you’re born again because you’ve …
Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 There’s a place in Scotland called, “Rest and Be Thankful.” It’s a scenic overlook where people stop, get out of their cars, and allow the overwhelming beauty to awe them. The picture you see above is from there. …
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He taught them, saying… — Matthew 5:1-2 Have you ever noticed that some of the Ten Commandments are written negatively, framed in the “thou shalt not’s?” That’s on purpose. They restrict the way people will live …
If you want an insider’s view of church (and society) life in New Testament times, read 1 Timothy. There you’ll find some things you won’t necessarily hear from the pulpit today. I’ve handed over (Hymenaeus and Alexander) to Satan so that they can be taught not to speak against God. (1:20) I want women to …
Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character. — 2 Timothy 3:16 This famous passage from Paul has certainly been abused. It’s sometimes used as a justification for reading the Bible literally. Actually, Paul was referring to the Old Testament, since the New …
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry even though I used to speak against him… — 1 Timothy 1:12-13a For some reason, I’ll occasionally see a clip from a televangelist shouting and gesturing. There’s no doubting that he feels himself …