A Little About Me…
I am a Christian, husband, father, church member, professor, & teacher who wants to help fellow pilgrims on our way to the Heavenly City.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Do You Treat Strangers Better Than Family?
I once had lunch with a seminary professor of mine where he shared a story about a conversation with his mailman. Throughout the conversation, he listened carefully, asked questions, and thoughtfully sought to encourage him. He then explained that as … Continue reading
Don’t Confuse Happy With Easy
A great way to ruin your life is to equate happy with easy. It sounds harmless. Who doesn’t want an easier life? But once easy means happy, hard has to mean unhappy. So every hard thing gets refused and every … Continue reading
Cranky Grandpa Wisdom
I’ve been accused of being old fashioned. Some people have an inner child; I have an inner 90 year old man who finds himself increasingly disoriented by modern sensibilities, popular sentiments, and trendy trends. The nonagenarian is raging today for … Continue reading
Love Is Not Unkindly Honest or Dishonestly Kind
It’s easy to be unkindly honest and equally so to be dishonestly kind. Doing both at once is hard. It’s hardest when it matters most. When everyone is behaving, honesty and kindness get along fine. But everyone sins, makes stupid … Continue reading
Own Your Junk
Accountability. We all use the word and have a feeling it’s important. It’s demanded of our politicians, pastors, bosses, referees, spouses, and children, yet many of us conveniently avoid applying it to ourselves. Most of us couldn’t define it if … Continue reading
Correction Is a Gift Wrapped in Painful Paper
Correction is a valuable gift that often comes in ugly wrapping. The paper is sharp and it cuts your hands going in. There is life inside, but only the person who actually wants the good is brave enough to tear … Continue reading
Four Kinds of Sermons: Against, Without, Above, From
I’ve spent years thinking about preaching. First, as a listener at church. Later, as a pastor, the guy doing the preaching. Now, I teach it to new ministry students at Biola University, or at least I try. One thing I … Continue reading
Hell’s Cheerleaders (Or, the Unlove of Unconditional Affirmation)
Following Jesus involves a lot of intentional learning and a lot of intentional unlearning. Believers need their thoughts, feelings, and actions continually renewed by the life-giving truth of God’s Word and freed from the soul-destroying untruths of the world that … Continue reading
You Only Have Three Choices in Hard Times
When you meet a hardship in life, it is helpful to know you have three options. You Can Stop Quitting is always an option and it isn’t always a bad one either. If the pain or harm of something isn’t … Continue reading
Courage, Dear Heart
I feel scared, a lot. As a teacher, I have begun many semesters thinking, “What am I getting myself into? What if I fail?” I have driven to many meetings feeling like an ulcer was forming in my stomach because … Continue reading
