Bible, Christian living, Church, Commentary, Culture, Ethics, Faith, society

Only you can prevent forest fires: the destructive force of our words 


I was in Florida several years ago and Florida was having wildfires. Some areas were evacuating. If a person smoked a cigarette, they were told that they couldn’t throw it on the ground or it would start a fire. 

Something so small, such a small amount of smoke, could start a huge fire. 

With our words, the tongue, a relatively small part of the body, can be hugely destructive if a person isn’t careful. 

James uses fires as an illustration for the destruction that our words can cause. “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5).  Continue reading “Only you can prevent forest fires: the destructive force of our words “ →

Commentary, Sports

Greatest quarterback, greatest coach, greatest Super Bowl 

Photo credit: Jeffrey Beall
I don’t care about the New England Patriots. But I do appreciate greatness. And Tom Brady showed tonight why he is the best quarterback of all time. There’s not even a legitimate debate. The only thing the Joe Montana camp has is the terrible argument “well he never lost a Super Bowl.” 

So? He had fewer teams who were good enough to MAKE it to the Super Bowl.  Continue reading “Greatest quarterback, greatest coach, greatest Super Bowl “ →

Commentary, Politics, Rant

The misery of politics 

I think essentially all Americans would sincerely like other people to be happy. Even people who we don’t know and with whom we will never have any interactions, I think we would still like those individuals to have happy and fulfilled lives.

Everyone wants what’s best. It’s just that there is disagreement on the best way to get there. The 2016 election was hard fought, and often times ugly. I had hoped that there would be a period of calm afterwards, but things have seemed to get even worse since the election. 
The hatred and disdain that politics brings out towards our friends, our relatives, our neighbors is unfortunate. Continue reading “The misery of politics “ →

Bible, Christian living, Church, Commentary, Comparative Religion, Culture, Faith, Gospel, Theology

Not man’s gospel 


In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he says “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel” (Galatians 1:11). 

That is one of the most fundamental misunderstandings that 21st century American society has with Christianity. 

It is not man’s gospel.  Continue reading “Not man’s gospel “ →

Bible, Christian living, Church, Commentary, Culture, Ethics, Faith, Gospel

Why does Jesus say “the poor in spirit” are blessed?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins the sermon with a section called The Beatitudes, 8 statements, most of which seem counterintuitive at first glance. But these are much deeper than pithy statements. They point us to the ethics of Jesus. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Continue reading “Why does Jesus say “the poor in spirit” are blessed?” →

Bible, Christian living, Church, Commentary, Culture, Faith, Gospel, Theology

Faith that works 

The Bible is clear that we are justified by faith. Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ life was enough, his death was enough, the blood that he spilled was enough, his body that was broken was enough, the life he was resurrected to was enough. We could not earn God, we could not be Godly, and from his mercy and goodness, Jesus came for us, to live for us, to die for us, to save us from our sins. And all you have to do is to trust in that, to have faith in that.  

And when you do, God gives you his Spirit. Like the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Continue reading “Faith that works “ →

Christian living, Church, Commentary, Culture, Faith, Gospel

The only resolution that matters for 2017


At the beginning of each year, millions of Americans make new year’s resolutions. Common resolutions include eating healthier, saving more money, quitting smoking, or learning a new skill. All of those are great things.

But the reason why we create new year’s resolutions is because there are areas in our life where we know we should be doing something and where we aren’t. Maybe it’s something we’ve tried and failed at before, but new year’s gives a sense of optimism. I think before we focus on anything else in 2017, our resolution should be to start (or continue) living each day for God.

We can feel like we want to get all of our ducks in a row before we can make time for faith. There are always reasons to not pursue God. There are always things that come up, difficulties we have. If we wait until everything is perfect before we do something, it never happens. Continue reading “The only resolution that matters for 2017” →