chasing them away
Reading blogs gives me a chance to step into the lives of others. I often come across many Christians who bash gathering in church for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are painfully legitimate and some are simply unwilling to stay and make a difference because they come to be served, instead of [...]
purple jacket lady
I was at the drug store yesterday, in line for a prescription, and a woman in a purple jacket melted down…. just… went to pieces right there in the prescription line. “I can’t DO THIS ANYMORE!” She screamed at the stunned cashier, who blinked quickly while everyone stood there staring, watching Purple Jacket Lady hurtle [...]
now go sit with someone…
On Guilt: “It is about as hard to absolve yourself of your own guilt as it is to sit in your own lap. Wrongdoing sparks guilt sparks wrongdoing ad nauseam, and we all try to disguise the grim process from both ourselves and everybody else. In order to break the circuit we need friends before [...]
because He came, we have life [@bibledude advent series]
![because He came, we have life [@bibledude advent series]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/haitian-girl-smiling-150x150.jpg)
READ 1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. [...]
how we really know those who don’t really know
Just a thought. . . I’ve been thinking about what it means to know and if I’m not sure about a number of things, I’m sure of this: to know is to be able to help someone to know too. Now I’m not playing with words, but seriously, I have had my share of teachers who appear [...]
because He came, we have peace [@bibledude advent series]
![because He came, we have peace [@bibledude advent series]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/dove-150x150.jpg)
READ Psalm 29 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice [...]
[mankind toons] Jesus feeds the five thousand
![[mankind toons] Jesus feeds the five thousand](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/mankind-toons-five-thousand-150x150.jpg)
And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. ~ Matthew 14:21 Source: MankindToons.com (used with permission)
where would Jesus spend his time on halloween?
The perspectives in the church on Halloween are pretty extreme. Most Christians either love it, hate it, or create a Christian-alternative for it (which is sort-of celebrating it without saying you’re celebrating it). I realize that merely talking about Halloween in this post may not make some people very happy. Regardless of your position on [...]
serving communion
“Body of Christ broken for you.” I repeated this simple phrase as I broke off a piece of the loaf that I was serving to each who came forward to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It was our last morning together at a Laity Lodge Writer’s Retreat; a retreat that I won’t soon forget. I [...]
[reverend fun] something to believe in
![[reverend fun] something to believe in](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/reverend-fun-08082011-150x150.jpg)
We all do this, don’t we? We create our own systems based on what we think is best. But what if our kids started doing that too? It seems obvious that we are to follow the ways of God and not our own. When we come to salvation, we are to put off our [...]
[reverend fun] standing right behind me
![[reverend fun] standing right behind me](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/reverend-fun-08262011-150x150.jpg)
I was in our church’s couples small group on Wednesday night, and our DVD lesson talked about Christians that act one way differently when they know that they’ll be accountable for their actions. The example shared was about a man who bragged about his partying, talked about the ‘hot’ women, and swore like a sailor… [...]
the street
I lay in my bed and see the people on the street. My imagination goes wild. What might it be like to be one living on the street? To have no cool place to lay my head at night. No shelter from the storms that come. To have no privacy, no real space to call [...]
when the waves come crashing
Read: Matthew 14:22-33 In have a lot of memories from playing football in high school. I was a pretty good lineman (both defense and offense) and I loved playing the game. One of my memories was a drill where guys would line up in two rows about five yards apart. Each player would have these padded [...]
separation from God
This past Sunday I was starting my usual afternoon Pastoral nap when there was a knock at the door. I got up to answer the door and I find it was two of my neighbors. These neighbors happen to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. They’ve stopped by a number of times to introduce themselves and to talk [...]
philippians 2:12-18 [lights in the world]
![philippians 2:12-18 [lights in the world]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/string-of-lights-150x150.jpg)
Read Philippians 2:12-18 (ESV, NIV, The Message) Where the Rubber Meets the Road Actually, the rubber has been meeting the road for a while now. From the very beginning of this lovely letter to the saints of Philippi, Paul mixes together powerful statements of theology with personal words of counsel. He began by thanking God for these [...]
philippians 2:1-11 [Christ's example of humility]
![philippians 2:1-11 [Christ's example of humility]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/cry-holy-150x150.jpg)
Read Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV, NIV, The Message) If we are not careful, culture rather than God will actually define reality for us. This is the core of many problems in discipleship today. American Christians need not worry of persecution from the world, but seduction by the world. The world we live in is full of seductive, deceptive, half-truths [...]
commissioned to go
Read: Matthew 28:16-20 One of the first books I remember reading to my son after he was born was “Go Dogs Go.” As he grew older, he began to pick out his own stories for bedtime and he would pick “Go Dogs Go” every night. At age 2 1/2 I thought my son was a [...]
who attends your church?
In a recent conversation with a friend I heard of a man who was asked to leave a local church because he was a cross-dresser and was unwilling to change his clothes when he came to church. Obviously each situation in a local church is different and should be handled according to what the Holy [...]
[epistle of james] chapter 4
![[epistle of james] chapter 4](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/point-100x100.jpg)
Read James 4 (NASB, ESV, MSG) Like any good sermon, James starts out with a glowing introduction; terms like ‘brothers,’ ‘dear brothers,’ and ‘dearly loved brothers,’ dominate every line of thought for the first chapter. Further into the book, however, the terms ‘dear’ and ‘beloved’ are dropped, and the triumphant phrasing of the well-known opening… [...]
the aftermath
I observed Lent. All forty days of it. I know, I feel like I should take a bow right now. I also showed up on time to my church’s Easter Sunday service, scored a prime seat closer to the front than not, was moved by our phenomenal choir’s performance of Hallelujah, listened intently to the [...]
jesus and my hot pink gloves
I sit in the confines of my car, hearing nothing but the muffled sound of cars whizzing by on the highway and the faint cheers of parents. The ball park lights flicker in the dimming sky. It’s getting chilly. I start the car and turn the heater all the way up to the bake-your-husband setting [...]
the reality of The Cross
With Easter Sunday just around the corner, and the relevance it has Christians, I found myself feeling a bit more reflective than usual. So hunker down, boys and girls. I, for one, have always, always struggled with a sense of mediocrity. It’s certainly not the worst internal argument one can have, but it’s mine, so [...]
keeping the sabbath – burden or gift?
The topic of sabbath seems to be coming up in my life over and over again. It seems as though the world is moving at a faster pace each day. It increasingly becomes harder and harder to take a break. We work 60+ hours a week, have family obligations to attend, housework to complete, meals [...]
jesus’ version of the butterfly effect: matthew 25:31-46 [#resonateseries]
It’s the last teaching of Jesus that’s recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did [...]
Nov 15, 2011 | Categories: authentic christianity, bible literacy, book reviews, READ, SERVE, the latest | Tags: bible commentary, butterfly effect, intervarsity press, ivp, Jesus, least of these, matthew 25:31-46, resonate series, sayings, teaching, the final judgement, the sheep and the goats | 1 Comment »