We have to work hard to relax these days, don’t we? Aundrea and I spent some time last week making plans for our family vacation this summer. And when the scheduled dates arrive, we’ll spend even more time—and money and energy—packing, driving, eating fast food, negotiating peace agreements between children, adjusting plans, recreating, seeing the sites, relaxing, returning home, unpacking,...
Pastor's Blog
May 7, 2012 |
How do Christians take vacation? On the brink of another Colorado summer, beckoning us with opportunities for camping, boating, hiking, traveling, sightseeing, and all other sorts of recreation, I thought we probably better ask: is there a distinctly Christian approach to leisure?
There is, and it begins where the Bible begins: at creation. For six days, God worked to bring order and...
April 30, 2012 |
The conversation was moving along nicely—good give and take, friendly rapport, engaging topic. My friend was facing an important decision, and we were working over her options together. Until she dropped the bomb: “I really feel the Lord leading me to…” Boom. Conversation over. She had heard from God. In fact, she went on to use those very words: “I felt like God was telling me to…” What more...
April 23, 2012 |
Remember “Rob”? For over a month, I’ve been writing about how God guides, and it all began with Rob, who lost his keys that one fictitious day here in Pastor’s Heart World. After searching everywhere and even growing a little frantic, he ultimately found them in response to a sudden hunch he had after a moment of prayer.
Is Rob a paradigm for God’s guidance and biblical decision...
April 16, 2012 |
“But,” complained an earnest reader, “are you sure God doesn’t speak His will to people directly? That sure doesn’t feel very personal.” To which I answer: yes, I’m sure. The Bible does not teach that God will guide us to the “right” decision using felt impressions or random circumstances. He guides through His word.
As for the concern about a felt sense of personal closeness, let’s...
April 9, 2012 |
As a kid, Easter to me meant candy. I knew Jesus died and rose; it just wasn’t something I really cared about. But candy? Now that was something I cared about deeply.
What about you? What does the resurrection mean to you? Perhaps more to the point, what should it mean to you? The biblical writers don’t assume the resurrection is self-interpreting. They give clear...
April 2, 2012 |
If God doesn’t guide through hunches, feelings, or random events (the assertion of last week’s column), how does He guide?
He guides by His Spirit through the word of God. The Spirit’s voice is a mediated voice; it’s not an unmediated impression, a spontaneous urge, or a random event. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the medium of the Bible. Else how can we distinguish...
March 26, 2012 |
What does the Bible teach about how God guides us? Should we expect Him to speak through hunches, feelings, circumstances, or a “still small voice” in our heart? “Nope,” says I.
“No?!” you might respond. “But what about all those places in the Bible where He gave people special guidance? And besides, how am I ever going to know God’s perfect will for my life if He doesn’t guide in...
March 19, 2012 |
Meet Rob. Rob has just realized that he can’t find his car keys. His first move is to check all the regular places in his house. Unfortunately, he doesn’t find them, so he goes through the house again, this time checking under furniture, beneath cushions, and in all sorts of other nooks and crannies. Still no keys. He checks his car. Nope. Now he’s getting frustrated and a little concerned....
March 12, 2012 |
Tattoos. That’s how God wanted His people to remember the Exodus: get a tattoo. Sort of. “This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the LORD's mighty hand brought us out of Egypt" (Ex 13:16 NLT). The tattoo-like ceremony God had in mind was actually a set of ceremonies: Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the dedication...
March 5, 2012 |
Last week I mentioned that our elders believe local church membership is an integral part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. But what exactly does it mean to be a church member? What’s the difference between a formal member and a regular attender?
In a word, church membership is commitment. Some people want the privileges of membership without any of its obligations—...
February 27, 2012 |
Charles Spurgeon said: “If I had never joined a church ’til I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.”
Taking our cue from Spurgeon (...
February 20, 2012 |
Multiple choice quiz question: our Sunday morning worship gatherings would be better if people came more intent on a) giving, b) getting, c) staying awake, d) none of the above. You might be surprised at my answer. I’d say “B: getting.” Our greatest need on Sunday morning is worshipers who come utterly determined to get more of God.
Common wisdom says we could improve...
February 13, 2012 |
Don’t. I’m serious. Just put your pencil down and listen, completely unleaded, with all your heart.
Why? Because taking scrupulous notes doesn’t actually correspond with what a biblical sermon is. Note-taking might not really be appropriate. Let me explain…
A sermon is emphatically not a lecture; thus, we shouldn’t listen to the two the same way. During a lecture, it’s normal...
February 6, 2012 |
Newsflash: It’s an election year. But of course, you already knew that. Campaign news and ads are already dominating the media outlets, and these are just the preliminary skirmishes. We all know things will really heat up this summer, which is when the real battles begin.
Elections for any public office are always important; Presidential elections even more so. If anything, this...
