Many of us have attended churches where a strong personality or family so controls the church that it stifles growth and spiritual leadership from others. Most people see the elephant in the room but don’t know what to do. When the bully shouts “no,” leaders and pastors have to tiptoe around them, weak decisions are […]
When I say “Love Works,” it can mean two things. First, there is so much power in love that it will affect others, or second, loving others is hard work. If we want to reach out and touch others with the love of Jesus, it requires a lot of love that works hard to guide […]
There is a criterion for choosing a church that is too often overlooked. Of course, we need to consider such issues as doctrine, style, distance, family and philosophy; but the Lord modeled a stance that is neglected by too many of us. I think it is spelled out in Mark 10:45: For even the […]
Have you ever watched news coverage of mass killings and wondered why people do such things? Whether it is an innocent person trying to escape the scene, a mother holding her baby or a grandmother who cannot defend herself, they all meet the same senseless end. What motivates people to do evil? Where do these […]
When Jesus stood before Pilate in Matthew 27, he watched the characters, listened to their nonsense and thought to himself, “It was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.” When he washed his hands, he knew that behind all their cheap arguments were hearts full of jealousy toward the Savior. […]
Churches are usually mindful of the biblical qualifications for spiritual leaders in the church found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Since leaders live in a world of tension, here are some balances which might be helpful when looking for people to serve. Is this person recognized as… Godly but human? Their […]
The reason that you are a believer in Christ is that someone passed the torch of faith to you. It is in your hands now, so what are you going to do with it? Give it away or burn your fingers? The Apostle Paul desperately wanted to place the mantle of Christian leadership on […]
How great is the gap between a grandfather and his grandchildren? I was surprised to discover that it is much less than I thought. Susie and I spent Christmas with four of our nine wonderful grandchildren. I often wondered how they perceived the old guy in the chair reading the paper with the television […]
