Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Part 5 Jesus has been attempting to prepare his disciples for a major change, that he will be leaving them. But he says he will send the Spirit to be with them. Clearly, the disciples are unsettled and confused. So Jesus needs to explain further. Continue reading “The surprising place Jesus said he wants to have a home (hint…it’s not in heaven)”
Tag Archives: christianity
Jesus says that we show we believe in him by how we live our lives
Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Part 4 It’s now just hours before Jesus will be forcibly taken from his disciples, and less than a day before he will be killed. In John 14, Jesus is having a final conversation with his disciples, trying to prepare them for what will rockContinue reading “Jesus says that we show we believe in him by how we live our lives”
Jesus’ somewhat confusing instructions for entering the Kingdom of God
Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Part 3 In John 14, verse 1, Jesus is talking about belief, as we saw him do in the previous posts on John 3. But between John chapter 3 and John 14, time has passed, and now Jesus is hours away from his death. HeContinue reading “Jesus’ somewhat confusing instructions for entering the Kingdom of God”
What Jesus means by the concept of belief
Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Part 2 “How can an adult be born a second time?” So asked Nicodemus to Jesus, who had just said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” Good question, if you’re thinking very literally. My daughter-in-law just recently gave birth to my 8lb, 4oz, grandson,Continue reading “What Jesus means by the concept of belief”
Are Christians relying too heavily on John 3:16?
Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Part 1 I’m back from sabbatical, and for the next few weeks, the blog series will be “Trust and Obey,” which is the name of a song I learned when I was a kid in Sunday school. During sabbatical I thought about how those twoContinue reading “Are Christians relying too heavily on John 3:16?”
The red letters that maybe Jesus didn’t say
Trust & Obey, Week 1: John 3 & John 14, Preview Does your Bible print the words of Jesus in red? Some Bibles print Jesus’ words in red, some don’t. Why? When the Gospels were originally written, even though original copies no longer exists, scholars are fairly confident that the Gospel writers did not use redContinue reading “The red letters that maybe Jesus didn’t say”
The secret to being content when life is good or bad – Philippians 4:10–13
Ours is a culture largely run on discontentment. New phones every year promising life-changing improvements, leaving you discontent with your old phone. New gadgets for every task under the sun, promising the good life, resulting in your feeling discontent without them. Whether it is your vacuum, clothes dryer, car, or just about anything. New clothingContinue reading “The secret to being content when life is good or bad – Philippians 4:10–13”
Why I am taking my second sabbatical – The Sabbath Year, Part 5
What has happened since my previous sabbatical ended April 1, 2018? In the past seven years, so much has happened. Faith Church had started a capital campaign in 2017, and it lasted through 2019. We resealed the parking lot, put in all new doors and windows, a new roof, new kitchen appliances, new WIFIContinue reading “Why I am taking my second sabbatical – The Sabbath Year, Part 5”
How a church that never gave a sabbatical in 50 years decided to give one – The Sabbath Year, Part 4
I started at Faith Church in October 2002 as full-time youth associate pastor. That meant, given my denomination’s recommendation that pastors receive sabbaticals every seven years, that my first opportunity for a sabbatical could have been as early as October 2009. But I didn’t take a sabbatical until January 1, 2018. Nine years later. Why?Continue reading “How a church that never gave a sabbatical in 50 years decided to give one – The Sabbath Year, Part 4”
Sabbaticals should be required for employees in any organization – The Sabbath Year, Part 3
Do you know the first corporation to grant sabbaticals? McDonalds. Does your church or company grant sabbaticals? They should. If you are in leadership in a church or company, this post explains why sabbaticals are not an indulgent luxury, but deeply beneficial for the employee and the organization. As I mentioned in previous posts thisContinue reading “Sabbaticals should be required for employees in any organization – The Sabbath Year, Part 3”
Engaging Scripture 