Do any of you watch satisfying videos? They’re a thing. Every now and then, someone in my house enjoys watching them. Just go on YouTube, and you’ll see what I mean. There is a whole genre of satisfying videos. Here’s an example of one that caused a delay in writing this post…because I couldn’t stopContinue reading “What can satisfy the soul, part 1”
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How to grow your love for God, part 5 (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree)
It is apple season, and my family actually has an apple tree in our yard. The few apples that grew on the tree this year just fell down a few days ago. They didn’t fall far from the tree. Is that just an old adage? What do apple trees matter to loving God? Yesterday, inContinue reading “How to grow your love for God, part 5 (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree)”
How to grow your love for God, part 4 (why following his commands is not burdensome)
Does following God sometimes feel burdensome to you? Can it seem like there are so many rules, and your heart and mind are not inclined to follow those rules? If you’ve ever thought or felt something close to that, you’re not alone. Many people have wondered why following God’s ways can be so difficult. MostContinue reading “How to grow your love for God, part 4 (why following his commands is not burdensome)”
How to grow your love for God, part 3 (dealing with our fears)
What do you fear? Even if you are the kind of person who is not afraid of hardly anything, do you have concerns? What bothers you? Maybe your personality really struggles with fears. I’ve talked in a previous post about my own struggles with anxiety. I’ve come to realize I have triggers: health and financialContinue reading “How to grow your love for God, part 3 (dealing with our fears)”
How to grow your love for God, part 2
Yesterday I referred to the axiom, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” but I didn’t talk about how it matters. This week we are looking at Deuteronomy 11, and how to grow love for God, and I promise that I’ll eventually explain how the axiom about the apple tree relates to this. ButContinue reading “How to grow your love for God, part 2”
How to grow your love for God, part 1
Have you ever heard the phrase, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”? What does it mean? That children or young people tend to behave like their parents. It happens all the time. And it is not just that we look like our parents, or sound like them, but that we tend to haveContinue reading “How to grow your love for God, part 1”
God’s surprising views on justice
Last year we started studying the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. Then I went on sabbatical. We had covered the first nine chapters of Deuteronomy. Now we’re heading back in! For the most part, though, we’re going to study Deuteronomy differently than we did last year. Last year we went chapter by chapter, verse byContinue reading “God’s surprising views on justice”
The one non-negotiable to becoming a successful church
Author John Dickson tells the following story in his book Humilitas: there were four people traveling on a small airplane when its engines lost power. The plane started diving to the ground at an alarming speed. The pilot turned to other three, with a dire look on his face, “There are four of us butContinue reading “The one non-negotiable to becoming a successful church”
Two surprising ways to respond to suffering
Being surprised or scared can be a horrible feeling right? Even when the surprise is a good surprise, there are some people that hate to be surprised! Do you know anyone who makes you promise that you will not throw them a surprise birthday party? Why? When you are in a groove, a routine, andContinue reading “Two surprising ways to respond to suffering”
How to have loving diversity in a church family
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Sometimes church families are like any other family, and that means we can butt heads. We don’t always see eye to eye. With the exception of ethnic diversity, my congregational is quite a diverse. Young and old. Male and Female. Rich and poor. Conservative and Progressive. IntrovertContinue reading “How to have loving diversity in a church family”
Engaging Scripture 