Forgiveness is not part of the mission of the church, it is THE mission of the church. Within a couple days of the resurrection, Jesus came to his disciples and said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23) Jesus is very clear about what he expects of his disciples. It is
Read MoreJesus gave us a tremendous gift when He taught us what we now call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ If you just don’t know what to pray for in a situation, say the Lord’s Prayer. If it doesn’t seem like your prayers are getting past the ceiling, say the Lord’s Prayer. If you are too ashamed to pray to God, say the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is our bedrock prayer that grounds us in the love of God who asks us to call Him ‘Father.’ It both lifts us up as the children of The King, as well as humbles us in our need for provision and protection. It guides our daily lives in the most fundamental needs of relational health:
Read MoreForgiveness is not part of the mission of the church, it is THE mission of the church. Within a couple days of the resurrection, Jesus came to his disciples and said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23) Jesus is very clear about what he expects of his disciples. It is neither complicated nor difficult.
Read MoreThe table is where families have gathered for centuries. Food brings us together, and it is around the table that relationships are formed. Consider the many important activities that go on around the dining table:
Families tell stories around the table. Those stories locate us in relationship to those who have gone before. The stories of the past are OUR stories. When we hear about great grandma or
There are two ways to approach the world: open-handed or close-handed. Many of us have grown up and worked around the close-handed. They seem to think that they have to hold on to what is their’s. They want to make sure they get their ‘fair share’ or their ‘due.’ This approach to life is stingy and stifling, not only for those around them, but also for themselves.
Check out this great Scripture on giving: ‘Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, whoever sows generously will also reap generously… ‘ 2 Cor 9:6 This is the age-old principle of reaping and
Read MoreGoing from HERE to THERE can be tough business. HERE is where you start out. It is the situation you want to get out of. You know it is intolerable and that you can no longer stay where you are. THERE is the promise of a new start, something better and fresh. It is the antithesis of the HERE you want to leave. But there is a problem. The only way from HERE to THERE is the journey in between. That was the situation the Israelites were in.
Read MoreTwo men were walking through a desert. Their journey was long and hard. Halfway through the barren landscape, one man struck the other man in anger. The other man bent down and wrote in the sand, ‘My friend struck me in the face today.’ Another time, the first man was angry about their predicament, so he cursed out his chiseled into it, ‘My friend was grateful and thanked me today.’ What a great parable for us today.
Read MoreWe Christians proclaim the good news of God’s love of humanity, His desire to heal all our brokenness and His offer to give us a full and fulling life. Jesus beautifully presents God’s loving intentions. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) God initiates a relationship with us then offers the gift of healing and life. But why do so many people have a hard time receiving that gift?
Read MoreDo you consider yourself a leader? When I ask a crowd to “Raise your hand if you are a leader”, it is interesting how few do. Many think that being a leader only has to do with their employment situation. If they are not in management, they don’t think they are a leader. Others think of leadership more broadly and think that leadership is bestowed as a role within an organization, being on a non-profit board, leading a committee, or teaching. The scope of leadership is much broader than these definitions.
Read MoreFaith and service go together like peanut butter and peanut butter. They aren’t different things like peanut butter and jelly. They are the same thing. I’ve always been challenged by James’ words, ‘What good is it, brothers and sisters, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?... Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.’(James 2:14, 18)
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