I grew up in a Christian home, and I am so grateful for the way my parents raised me and my siblings. Throughout high school and in my first year of college, though, I really had allowed myself to become selfish. I was terribly unkind to my brother for years, I was selfish in datingContinue reading “Revival happens when the bottom rots out – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 4”
Tag Archives: god
What “the fear of God” means – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 3
After graduating college, I worked at our County’s youth detention center for three years as Michelle and I started our family and began the process of becoming missionaries in Jamaica. Then called Barnes Hall, and located in a building that has since been torn down, I was employed as a youth care worker. My roleContinue reading “What “the fear of God” means – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 3″
Healthy communication – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 1
I’ve had to read some dense philosophy and theology books over the years for courses I was taking. For a doctoral course this past spring, I read one so intricate, there were numerous times I wondered if it was a farce, a parody of a book. In fact, the author frequently made statements that, inContinue reading “Healthy communication – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 1”
Keeping up with God – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 5
We recently had a snowstorm that blanketed our area with 8 inches of snow. Nothing massive, but given that we only got 5 inches total the entire previous winter, 8 inches felt like a lot. About 20 minutes away at my son and daughter-in-law’s house, the storm dropped 12 inches. As you traveled further northContinue reading “Keeping up with God – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 5”
How the aging process can help us evaluate the past year – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 3
Years ago, one of the home-bound members of my church family, who has since passed away, described for the me the process of her ever-decreasing eyesight. She said that it was only during the bright sunlight of the day that she could see around her room. As the months and years went by, the darknessContinue reading “How the aging process can help us evaluate the past year – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 3”
How do we evaluate the dumpster fire that was 2020? – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 2
How do we evaluate 2020? As I mentioned in the previous post, it could be very easy to just say it was so bad that there is nothing to learn. Instead, we should have the posture of learners, no matter the situation, and the next passage in Ecclesiastes is a wonderful guide to help usContinue reading “How do we evaluate the dumpster fire that was 2020? – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 2”
Not so fast 2021…why we needed 2020 – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 1
A new year is upon us! Are you excited? On one hand, the switch from December 31, 2020 to January 1, 2021 this coming Thursday night is the same as any old Thursday night. It is one day, then the next day. Sure, we get a long holiday weekend, which is nice, but New Year’sContinue reading “Not so fast 2021…why we needed 2020 – Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8, Part 1”
What people need to know about Christmas – Honest Advent Bonus Post
For Christmas Eve, Faith Church included as part of our worship service, the excellent depiction of the Christmas Story as told by the TV show The Chosen. Before continuing with this post, I urge you to watch the episode below: As I watched the first part of the video, the introduction felt very familiar. RememberContinue reading “What people need to know about Christmas – Honest Advent Bonus Post”
The most important spiritual habit? – Honest Advent Week 4, Part 4
I once had a class in seminary where we were talking about how we are embodied souls, which is our topic on the blog this week, and the professor asked the class what we would consider to be the most important spiritual habit we should practice. Of course there are the common answers of prayerContinue reading “The most important spiritual habit? – Honest Advent Week 4, Part 4”
Christianity is not a purely spiritual faith – Honest Advent Week 4, Part 1
Our is an embodied faith. The opposite of this is the view that says ours is a purely spiritual faith. But Christianity is not a purely spiritual faith. Does that sound odd or wrong? Let me say it again. Christianity is not a purely spiritual faith. Upon hearing that some might think, “What are youContinue reading “Christianity is not a purely spiritual faith – Honest Advent Week 4, Part 1”
Engaging Scripture 