Last week I did a search on our local website, as I was looking for the word “hope” in the news. You know what I discovered? Hope is a very flexible word, used many ways for many situations. Here are a few of the recent headlines. Maybe you remember some of them! First, here areContinue reading “How we can know that hope is alive”
Tag Archives: Jesus
Why being “born again” might not be as crazy as it sounds
It is cringe-worthy. I admit it. Being born again? It just sounds weird, not to mention the baggage associated with “Born Againers” in our society. My guess is that most people don’t know what it means to be born again. Or they believe born-againers are fundamentalistic, and therefore, mean, jugdmental and harsh. But being bornContinue reading “Why being “born again” might not be as crazy as it sounds”
Embracing Your Daughter’s Killer: The Freedom of Radical Forgiveness (Betwixt Podcast)
I am so thankful to my friend Deb Gregory for the wonderful podcast she created, Betwixt. I encourage you to subscribe, listen from the beginning and learn about the wonders of liminal space. I am also thankful that on her most recent episode, Deb featured my story! You can listen to the episode here. IContinue reading “Embracing Your Daughter’s Killer: The Freedom of Radical Forgiveness (Betwixt Podcast)”
We really need grace
Do you or anyone you know go by a nickname? I love the band U2, and both the lead singer Bono and lead guitarist, The Edge, go by the nicknames. Bono has said on numerous occasions that even The Edge’s mom calls him “The Edge”. But I wonder how many people with a nickname referContinue reading “We really need grace”
Can you smell what The _____ is cooking? (When Jesus give you a nickname and changes your life.)
Can you tell whom I’m thinking about? Read the title of this post. Look at the picture. The Rock! That is Dwayne Johnson’s nickname from his days as a professional wrestler. There seems to be a specific kind of person whom we nickname with the word “Rock”. Think about Rocky Balboa. Remember the character SylvesterContinue reading “Can you smell what The _____ is cooking? (When Jesus give you a nickname and changes your life.)”
What to do when life is hard and filled with tears
A friend of mine has graciously allowed me to borrow his tiller each year to get our garden ready for planting. It is a monster of a tiller. You have to grip that thing with all your might, lower your center of gravity, and hold on for dear life. I am not kidding. It isContinue reading “What to do when life is hard and filled with tears”
Surprising ways people come to know God (and never hear about Jesus!)
Is God fair? Will he send people to hell who never had a chance to know about salvation in Jesus? Yesterday we looked at some options for how Christians try to answer this difficult question. Today we seek for any other biblical passages that might give us some help. Thankfully there are some. Last weekContinue reading “Surprising ways people come to know God (and never hear about Jesus!)”
How to hear God speak through the Bible
Many people say they do not hear God. Many others say they do hear God speak. I believe them. God speaks through dreams, visions, audible voices, etc. I’m sometimes jealous of that because I do not believe I have ever heard God speak to me in an audible voice, or in a whisper inContinue reading “How to hear God speak through the Bible”
How to become more gracious
Have you ever had an encounter with someone who was less than gracious? Have you been accused? Confronted? Or maybe you’re in the store, waiting in line at checkout, and right in front of you is a family with young children. Just then one of the kids start freaking out because the parent won’t letContinue reading “How to become more gracious”
Was God being manipulative when he said, “If you obey me, you will live”?
Is God being manipulative when he says, “If you obey me, you will live”? Is he being threatening? Why in the world would God say that? If you remove the Christian filter from your mind, you can read God as sounding an awful lot like an abusive boyfriend. As we continue our study through Deuteronomy,Continue reading “Was God being manipulative when he said, “If you obey me, you will live”?”
Engaging Scripture 