We were in the mouth of the goal, and the guy next to me was yelling at me. He had a good reason. I had just thrown him to the ground. It was during a college soccer game with our rivals. We were vying for position on a corner kick, and the guy on theContinue reading “When we behave badly and don’t want to admit it – John 21, Preview”
Tag Archives: relationships
What Christmas cards teach us about a relationship with God – John 17:1-5, Part 4
How many Christmas cards do you receive? Christmas cards are an American cultural phenomenon. Perhaps other cultures have the same phenomenon. The cards start arriving in early December, from friends and family. We hang the cards in our dining room, as part of our Christmas decorations. Some cards include a letter with a recap ofContinue reading “What Christmas cards teach us about a relationship with God – John 17:1-5, Part 4”
Why Jesus’ teaching “If you love me, obey me” is not gaslighting – John 14-16, Part 1
When I was in Bible College, I was in the college library one day reading Christianity Today magazine. It was the September 1994 issue, and in that issue an article really caught my attention. The title of the article is “Who’s Afraid of the Holy Spirit?” by Daniel Wallace, at the time a professor atContinue reading “Why Jesus’ teaching “If you love me, obey me” is not gaslighting – John 14-16, Part 1″
Cliques in the church and loving difficult people – John 13:18-38, Part 5
Over the years, people have said there are cliques in the church, and they don’t believe there shouldn’t be cliques in the church. A clique is a small group of people who like to be together and can be adverse to others joining them. What do you think? Are cliques antithetical to Christianity? In theContinue reading “Cliques in the church and loving difficult people – John 13:18-38, Part 5”
Are people ever too far gone? – John 13:18-38, Preview
Have you felt as though some people are just too far gone, as if there is no hope for them? Maybe it is a relative who has made a series of poor choices. Maybe it is a friend who has struggled for years. Maybe you wonder about yourself. It could be the person who isContinue reading “Are people ever too far gone? – John 13:18-38, Preview”
When we should trust others…and when we shouldn’t – Jeremiah 40-41
Blog Note: If you are a regular reader of the blog, you know that we are in a series through the Gospel of John. Most weeks, I blog the sermons I preach at Faith Church, breaking each sermon into five posts, a kind of daily devotional, Monday through Friday. You haven’t seen any posts soContinue reading “When we should trust others…and when we shouldn’t – Jeremiah 40-41”
Would Jesus agree with a love bomb? – John 11:46-12:11, Preview
Have you heard of a “love bomb”? I just learned the term this past week while watching the most recent episode (4/26/23) of the Apple+ show Ted Lasso. In this episode one character expresses their love for another character by giving them extravagant gifts. That’s a love bomb. One gift is a signed first editionContinue reading “Would Jesus agree with a love bomb? – John 11:46-12:11, Preview”
The fallacy of the slippery slope argument in helping us become more like Jesus – John 7:53-8:11, Part 3
Did you know that Jesus once stayed an execution? He actually decided to not do what the Mosaic Law said to do. The religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, asking him, “The Mosaic Law says this sinful woman should receive the death penalty. What do you say, Jesus?”Continue reading “The fallacy of the slippery slope argument in helping us become more like Jesus – John 7:53-8:11, Part 3”
Dealing with that difficult family member – John 7:1-52, Part 1
What does your Jesus box look like? You all have one. In fact, it is something that you created. It has a unique shape and size, based on what you think Jesus is like. Take a moment and think about it. What do you think Jesus is like? Is your perception of Jesus correct? AsContinue reading “Dealing with that difficult family member – John 7:1-52, Part 1”
Overcoming the grumps – John 6:22-51, Part 4
What makes you grumpy? Many situations make me grumpy, but it is probably home repairs that hit me the worst. When something breaks in our house, or something needs updated, it really stresses me out, and I can get so grumpy. For other people, it is bad drivers. Some of you hate mornings, and youContinue reading “Overcoming the grumps – John 6:22-51, Part 4”
Engaging Scripture 