Whatever My Lot
Horatio Spafford was a nineteenth-century lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago. He and his wife Anna passed their financial success on to thousands of people in need. Their incredible generosity was motivated by their love for Jesus and deep convictions of faith. God also blessed Horatio and Anna with 5 children (1 son and 4 daughters) whom they taught to love God and others with genuine hearts. In 1871, Horatio and Anna faced great heartache and loss. During that year, their four-year-old son was lost to scarlet fever
Be Still And Know
Most people are doers. We want tasks accomplished, problems solved, and goals achieved. Our independent and self-reliant minds look to dig in and get it done. In many instances, this is good and required. However, action without thought and clear direction can lead to more problems rather than solutions. As a younger lad, I often got myself into trouble due to a lack of thinking. I’d hop on my bike, strap down my skis, or start to climb before I took the time to consider what I was about
God Is Still On The Throne
The question of authority is at the root of much of what we are witnessing today. Who has the authority to determine value? Who has the authority to dispense justice? Who has the authority to dispense mercy? Many in America believe the individual is authorized to determine these things according to their own circumstances and experience. To them, authority and truth are relative and individual. They believe we determine these by our own volition. However, people have vastly different experiences and circumstances. Therefore, vastly different outcomes might be
The Fields Are Ripe
ALL people are created in the image of God! Jesus chose one of the most socially shunned people to be the first to identify Him as the Messiah! Jesus proclaimed a time of great chaos to be the occasion that the harvest was ready! In John 4 we read the account of Jesus and the woman at the well. Of the many lessons to learn from this event, there are 3 I ask you to consider. First: Jesus went out of His way to travel through Samaria for the specific purpose of meeting
The Fields Are Ripe
ALL people are created in the image of God! Jesus chose one of the most socially shunned people to be the first to identify Him as the Messiah! Jesus proclaimed a time of great chaos to be the occasion that the harvest was ready! In John 4 we read the account of Jesus and the woman at the well. Of the many lessons to learn from this event, there are 3 I ask you to consider. First: Jesus went out of His way to travel through Samaria for the specific purpose of meeting
NEXT UP: Origins Are Foundational To Life
We live in a broken world. We see the evidence of it everywhere we look. There are many questions. What broke it? Can it be repaired? If it can, how? Why am I here? How did I get here? What is my purpose? What happens when my life is over? Is this all there is? Is there such a thing as truth? If there is, how can we know it? What is right and what is wrong? Who gets to decide what is right and wrong? These are the foundational
NEXT UP: The Next Generation Matters
The generation before us carried the banner of Christ with zeal and sacrifice. That cloud of witnesses is now counting on us to pick up that banner and run the race laid out before us. Likewise, there is a generation following us, watching to see what our lives will declare as real and true. I love how the writer of Hebrews talked about this in Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV). “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings
NEXT UP: Remember the Wonders of God
It is a privilege to proclaim the wonders of God, but it is also expected of Christians. If the people of God do not remember and proclaim the wonders of God, nobody will. When we cease to think and talk about God’s great deeds, we cease to seek Him for our needs, which are consuming and demanding; they will not go unmet. Therefore, we reach for something to satisfy our yearnings. But if we turn anywhere other than God, we have turned away from life and toward death. This
NEXT UP: The Beginning Matters
In the second part of our NEXT UP: Why Does This Matter? series I want to talk about why the beginning matters. In case you missed the first part, you can click here to read. I have often enjoyed the Indiana Jones movies. My favorite was “The Last Crusade.” The plot of this adventurous movie was to locate the holy grail. It was thought the grail possessed the power to give eternal youth to those who drank from it. Indiana Jones desired to find the grail to keep it
NEXT UP: Why Does This Matter?
At age 19, I was tasked with turning an old building into a teen outreach center. The building was located near what was known as “Uptown” in the Minneapolis, MN area and experienced many of the typical inner city issues. Not long after the renovations were completed, we began running various community outreach programs. Shortly thereafter, a small contingent of the Crips gang moved into the neighborhood and began causing problems. The gang headquarters was located about a block from our building. Though their activities had not escalated