Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
“Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. – Matthew 4:19-20 After following Jesus for fifty-plus years, I still can’t figure it out. Why do I take seriously someone who supposedly lived 2,000 years ago? It really doesn’t make sense. The …
“[My Father] makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous.” – Matthew 5:45 The older I get, the more I’ve come to recognize so many gifts I’ve taken for granted. The older I get, the more I’m amazed at this body, a …
Rejoice always. Pray continually. – 2 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Our default prayer life, like it or not, revolves around “I want.” It’s the genetic basis of religion. God’s bigger and wiser, and if we get on God’s good side, we’ll get what we want. Prayer is that token we put in the celestial gumball machine. Of course …
We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. – Colossians 1:10 We’re born with a limited view of God, and sometimes have difficulty growing out of it. …
I’m intrigued by something Father Richard Rohr wrote in his The Wisdom Pattern: Order-Disorder-Reorder. “It seems to me we must begin conservatively—with clear boundaries, identity, and a sense of respect for our reality. Then, and only then, can we move out from that strong center, according to our education and experience.” (p. 61) The trick, …
He said to me, “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 Many lifetimes ago, I tried my hand at writing fiction. I wrote a short novel and send …
I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!— he’s my shield, my salvation’s strength, my place of safety. – Psalm 19:1-2 How do you name the invisible? When you look around at the immensity, complexity, incomprehensibility of the world and universe, how can …
“If it seems wrong in your opinion to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve…But my family and I will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 These famous words of Joshua to the Israelites came when the leader was old and about to die. He was encouraging them to remain faithful to God as …
“I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God.” – Acts 15:19 These are the words of Jesus’ brother, James. As the head of the Jerusalem church, he’s declaring what the church must always remember. He was speaking to a faction within the church that wasn’t happy that non-Jews were saved …
Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 Read 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and you’ll read a man stumbling all over his words. I believe Paul knew treating women as subordinate …