Advent 2025, Week 1: Psalm 112, Part 1 My wife and I have four children who played a variety of sports through the years. We learned that school athletic departments don’t ask parents for family schedules before arranging the sports calendar. There were sports seasons where we had four kids on four different teams, andContinue reading “What parents can learn about worship from youth sports”
Tag Archives: christianity
How I broke our church’s candle lighter
Advent 2025, Week 1: Psalm 112, Preview Earlier this week I broke our church family’s candle lighter. Do you know what I mean by “candle lighter”? I’ve searched online numerous times to learn if it has an official name, but I can’t find one. It seems “candle lighter” is the official name. Or “candle lighterContinue reading “How I broke our church’s candle lighter”
How Jesus’ upside-down view can change the world
Trust & Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Part 5 I teach English language development classes in my community. In a recent class, the curriculum included a story about a family who immigrated to the US, worked hard, and opened a restaurant, because they wanted their son to experience the American Dream. Around the table inContinue reading “How Jesus’ upside-down view can change the world”
Your physical circumstances do not reveal what God thinks of you
Trust and Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Part 4 In Luke 6, Jesus makes the shocking assertion that the poor are in favorable circumstances, because theirs is the Kingdom of God. The people in the crowd that day listening to his Sermon on the Plain would have been blown away by this. Jesus’ ideas soundedContinue reading “Your physical circumstances do not reveal what God thinks of you”
What Jesus might say about Elon Musk’s $1 trillion compensation passage
Trust & Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Part 3 Jesus knew what life was like for the people in the crowds that followed him, crowds such as the ones we read about Luke 6. He knew what their lives were like because he lived that life for 30 years before he started his ministry. JesusContinue reading “What Jesus might say about Elon Musk’s $1 trillion compensation passage”
A new kind of Beatitude
Trust & Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Part 2 The picture above shows the text of two of Jesus’ Beatitudes. From memory, can you say any of the others? As the picture points out, you can find the text of the Beatitudes in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is Matthew chapters 5–7. The BeatitudesContinue reading “A new kind of Beatitude”
Setting the scene for Jesus’ surprising take on blessings
Trust & Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Part 1 You may have heard of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. That famous passage is found in Matthew 5–7. But have you ever heard of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain? His Sermon on the Plain has many similar, or even the same, teachings as those found inContinue reading “Setting the scene for Jesus’ surprising take on blessings”
Are we misunderstanding blessing?
Trust & Obey, Week 3: Luke 6, Preview Around the tables at your Thanksgiving gatherings this coming week, will you take time to share with your family and friends what you are thankful for? One of the worship songs we recently sang at Faith Church is perfect for Thanksgiving, “Count Your Blessings.” There is somethingContinue reading “Are we misunderstanding blessing?”
What Jesus’ kingdom looks like (hint: it’s not church buildings)
Trust & Obey, Week 2: Matthew 16 & 18, Part 4 Can you recite the Lord’s Prayer? Our Father who art in heaven… In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus not only teaches his disciples how to pray, but also what to pray for. What he taught us to pray for has everything to do with thisContinue reading “What Jesus’ kingdom looks like (hint: it’s not church buildings)”
What Jesus never said about church
Trust & Obey, Week 2: Matthew 16 & 18, Part 3 When you hear the word “church,” what comes to mind is likely a contemporary expression of church in your culture. For me, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA, I think of church buildings. My county has something like 700 church buildings of all shapes andContinue reading “What Jesus never said about church”
Engaging Scripture 