Spring might be my favorite time of the year. The weather take a turn for the better. Flowers return. Another season of baseball begins (and the Cubs have yet to be eliminated). I believe Jesus would have loved Little League. Not for the trophies, but for the opportunity to coach and develop the people around him. You don’t just tell a young boy to throw a two-seam fastball. You have to show him how. Jesus understood a very important truth about developing any habit: Most of what we’ve learned to do well we learned from watching others. This is especially true when it comes to the habit of showing compassion. Since compassion doesn't come naturally to us, we need a good role model to help us learn the right way to do it. There is no better role model than Jesus himself.
Read More
Have you ever thrown a boomerang? Unlike a frisbee, a boomerang is designed to go out and come back. Those who are really good at throwing the boomerang don't even have to move to catch it. It just returns to where it started. As I thought about boomerangs, I realized that many of us have psychological, emotional, or spiritual boomerangs. We carry a certain attitude and it comes right back to us. We think a certain way and the results are not at all surprising. We treat people with kindness and they will likely offer kindness in return. Likewise, a harsh word leads to harsh words. Boomerangs. What I believe about God is often what gets returned to me. If I believe he is willing and able to make a difference in my life, I pray with that expectancy and look for signs of his involvement. If I believe in an…
Read More
Back in February, while I was shaking hands after service, a young boy approached me with his dad. The little guy had a question for his pastor: "What can I do to help the church?" I smiled and said, "That's a great question. What do you like to do?" I'll never forget his response: "I like to give money to the church." After asking about cloning rights, I gave him a few suggestions and he bounced off with his parents. I still smile when I think about that conversation. Generosity, in every area of life, should come naturally to a Christ-follower. A generous person is a changed person -- changed by the love and mercy of God.
Read More
What does salvation mean to you? For many of us, we define salvation in very personal, limited terms. Jesus died for me, therefore, I will live with him. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I have a personal relationship with Jesus. "Jesus loves me, this I know..." In some ways, these views of salvation fit very nicely with the very reasons why we needed saving in the first place. We tend to be self-absorbed, superficial people. At the root of our sin problem is pride: we are the problem. It's not the devil or the corruption in Washington or the declining moral standards in Hollywood. The problem is not out there somewhere; it's me. I am the problem. In addition to the forgiveness of sins, the transforming work of Jesus on the cross should also bring about a change in perspective. I see myself differently. I see God differently. I see…
Read More
I grew up in a distinctly non-charismatic fellowship of churches. Many of our preachers thought you had to be boring to be non-charismatic, and unfortunate interpretation for any audience. As a result of our lack of charisma, personal or theological, we didn't talk much about revival. Revival is what the Pentecostals did under a tent, with a sweaty preacher stalking back and forth. "Normal" Christians kept their cool -- and did a really good job, I might add. Since we didn't talk much about revival, we didn't see much of it either. Recently I've read several articles (again) about the decline of church attendance among various denominational groups. The tribe of my youth is one of those who have experienced continual decline. The result has been not only few people attending church but fewer churches to attend. It's not unique to any one particular fellowship, tradition, or denomination. If we…
Read More