Maria, Mexico, and Pain that Overwhelms

For a couple of days I have watched, admittedly from the comfortable confines of my home, the unfolding drama in Mexico because of the earthquake, and the unfolding events in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria. Of course, both of these horrid disasters come on the heels of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey; and all READ MORE

Ten Things I Learn When I Listen to God

There are those convictions that come along reminding me that I spend an awful lot of time talking to the Lord, but very little real time just listening. Reflecting on this sad reality brings to my mind the words of Isaiah 29:13, wherein the Lord says, “this people draw[s] near with their mouth and honor[s] READ MORE

The Cry of the Warrior-Poets

Stop for just a moment. Ask yourself from what it is the Lord has set you free. Was it the scaring shame of deep-seated sin? Was it a relationship that was once spiraling out of control, now healed and thriving? Was it a season of depression or anxiety that you thought would never end? Was it READ MORE

Reputation vs. Relationship

Right at that moment when we think Jesus may be watering down the essence of being rightly related to God, we realize that he is actually raising the bar quite a bit higher. The question about fasting, offered by the disciples of both John the Baptist and the Pharisees, as recorded in Mark 2:18 and READ MORE

Reflections on Newtown Shooting

Like many of you I am trying to absorb the horror of the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The image of the young mom now in utter shock, reflecting on having happily dropped her kid off earlier in the day only to discover he was now dead, sends chills all over me. How in the READ MORE

Select Thoughts on Judgment and Hypocrisy

Consider the following reflections on judgmentalism and hypocrisy, particularly as it relates to the study of Galatians 6:1 and following at Bethel Church. Matthew 7:1-5 is helpful here: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured READ MORE