Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17 and Luke 20:25 record the familiar phrase “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” The fact that all three of the Synoptic Gospels record this saying is an indication to me that it is very important. There is something here that I […]
Psyched out by the hills and what to do about it
When riding my bike I am often psyched out by hills. To my shame, I must admit that I sometimes change my route because of them. When I am not the one choosing the route, I will be thinking of the hill (if I know about it) long before I get to it. The hill […]
The Goal of Christian Teaching – Love From a Pure Heart
Confused About the Goal In Matthew 22:37-39 and Mark 12:29-31, Jesus tells us that the two great commands are to love God with our entire being and love our neighbors. The concept is simple but the execution is difficult. Only two commands and if we’re honest, we admit that we cannot keep either one of […]
Why do we make church so complicated?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Why then do we make church so complicated? We have programs and activities that would make the average cruise ship activities director envious. We have men’s groups, women’s groups, singles groups, youth groups, coffee shops, concerts, ministry days, outreach […]
I don’t have the chutzpah to pick up the first stone
I have heard it said that chutzpah is illustrated by the man who kills his mother and father and then pleads to the judge to let him off because he is an orphan. In other words, chutzpa is that behavior that knows no self limitation. This evening a friend sent me a link to a […]
Already Compromised – What You Should Know About Educating Your Child
The Opportunity I have seen some students emerge from Christian colleges with a passion to live for Jesus Christ. I have seen others come away from their learning experience discouraged and disillusioned about their faith. As a result of this, when given an opportunity to read Already Compromised on the condition that I do a […]