You’ll get this at CrossLife Church. Someone says, “God is good.” And you’ll see comments, or hear someone nearby, or read replies: “All the time.” I love this. For three reasons. First, this “call and respond” method of communication is historical, traditional and very practical. It’s good. It has been tested over time. It works. It inspires listeners to participate …
God’s Will All the Time
When you find yourself wondering what God’s will is, shift from searching for his hidden will to his revealed will. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Joyfully get out of bed. Joyfully battle allergies or arthritis. Joyfully accept fair criticism or unfair injustice. “Rejoice …
Praise You Anywhere
Sometimes you’ve gotta dance through the darkness Sing through the fire Praise when it don’t make sense Sometimes you’ve gotta stare down the giant Worship from the lion’s den Based on that verse of Brandon Lake’s song, “Praise You Anywhere,” I can think of at least 5 occasions in the Bible when a believer praised God. In all …
Drive and Determination
Terry Fox loved basketball but was only 5 feet tall in eighth grade. He tried out for the team anyway, barely made it, sat on the bench for the season and played a total of 1 minute that year in a game. He took that as a sign that he should try out for the ninth grade team, then earn …
Never Forget These Nobodies
This list of nobodies practiced courageous faith that changed the script. It has made our world—and our own faith—better today.
Speak, O Grave
Lost. You are and I am. Had you returned what would have been? Who would we be? Had you refused your orders, your deployment, your honor to country, What would have been? Who would you be? Where would justice cry? I miss you. I miss us. I want both you and freedom. I prayed for both you and …
Greedy God
Some theologian somewhere listed greed among the seven deadly sins, probably because greed is one of those nasty sins that so quickly triggers other sins. Lying to parents, or concocting a cover up lie to your boss starts with greed. In the Bible greed pops up often in the company of the vilest sins church goers usually condemn with disgust. …
Right Here
One study about happiness used an app to track what makes people happy or unhappy. Participants ranked rush hour traffic commutes as the highest cause of anxiety and anger that robs them of happiness. That makes sense, but maybe this doesn’t. The study also concluded that people were more frustrated if they were thinking about something else in rush hour …
Pray What to Pray
I enjoy being in the mix of prayer requests from different people for different people with different people on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, for years I believed that what I learned at the seminary was true: pastors spend more time preparing and preaching their sermon than doing anything else. Recently, however, I wonder if the ministry …
Loving The Unlovable
When God tells a good man to stay married to an unfaithful prostitute, the Bible is teaching us about God loving the unlovable—like us.