Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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“I [Peter] really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another.” — Acts 10:34 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!” — Acts 11:2-3 One of the key roles of …
Even in my old age with gray hair, don’t abandon me, God! Not until I tell generations about your mighty arm, tell all who are yet to come about your strength, and about your ultimate righteousness, God, because you’ve done awesome things! — Psalm 71:18-19 I’ve mentioned before how much I appreciate the daily meditations …
As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. — John 20:14 If I had to choose a favorite Gospel right now, it would be John. That’s because it is, frankly, quite weird compared to the other ones. In your free time …
Simon Peter answered, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” — John 6:68 Here are two quotes that summarize two different ways to approach Jesus. Quote One: The belief that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your …
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! — Psalm 8:9 This picture was taken on a beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was at sunset. The boats you see aren’t there by accident. An armada of them go out every late afternoon to witness this beauty. Afterward they form a line down a nearby …
When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” — John 21:15 There was a competition underlying the relationship between Peter and the unnamed “beloved disciple” in John’s Gospel. Peter envied his …
I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness. — John 12:46 Kate Bowler is a professor at Duke University and wrote a book titled, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. She described being in stage four colon cancer and facing …
“I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” — John 13:34-35 I just watched a fascinating documentary on Netflix titled, “Unknown: Cave of Bones” (you can watch the trailer here). Archaeologists explore …
I would really like to believe that the suffering invested in the civil rights movement has paid dividends in putting racism behind us. That is delusional, of course, yet it’s curious that some of the racist stuff we see comes from those who claim it’s not a problem anymore. Instead, racism has evolved into a …
“But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight.” — Matthew 15:18 Have you ever said something that revealed, unintentionally, what was in your heart? I will confess that one time, decades ago, I told a gay joke among fellow pastors. It was a joke …