Passover LambYesterday was Lamb Selection Sunday, when traditionally, the Passover lamb was selected by a family to celebrate the passing over of the angel of death during the Exodus from Egypt. As our church was celebrating yesterday, our primary focus was on the way that Jesus selected himself as the Passover lamb to be sacrificed […]
Jesus Loved. Shouldn’t We?
FirefoxAmidst the recent scene of individuals who have taken a stand on one side of the gay marriage stance or another, several prominent people have been seen an enormous degree of criticism for their stances. Additionally, others have called for the boycott of companies represented by leaders who have taken what seem to be antigay […]
Is the “Selfie” a Form of Idolatry?
Selfie: (sel-fie) For those of you who do not know, when a person takes a photo of himself or herself, usually with a phone or other digital device, it is known as a Selfie. These photos are typically uploaded to social media sites where individuals take and post hundreds, if not thousands of photos of […]
Guilt, Shame, and Conviction.
What’s the difference between guilt, shame, and conviction? I was asked this question today. One of the young men in my church said that after the lesson yesterday, he felt so bad about how much time he was spending at work, rather than going to church. He kept saying, “I love our church, and I […]
No Such Thing as ‘Worship’ Music
The question was asked of me yesterday, “Can there really be music that is ‘Worship’?” I was immediately excited about the question, because it helped me to raise a better question. “Is anything Sacred and is anything Secular?” The student immediately recited something they heard in 4th grade Sunday School class about certain things being […]
Keeping Up
About ten years ago, I began a Myspace page for my youth group. At the time, it was the best way for me to get information to my students. I had previously been using a product called Xanga, but my students thought that was a bit too old for them. Then there irrupted a phenomenally […]
Yet to Come…
Yesterday, I sang a song in church entitled God of This City by Aaron Boyd, Andrew McCann, Ian Jordan, Peter Comfort, Peter Kernoghan, Richard Bleakley. I was primarily drawn to this song because of the chorus of the song because the words seemed so true for our church. Greater things have yet to come And […]
Can the Church be Graceful?
The worse a person felt about [oneself], the more likely [he/she] saw Jesus as a refuge. Has the church lost that gift? Evidently the down-and-out, who flocked to Jesus when he lived on earth, no longer feel welcome among his followers. What has happened? – Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace? Getting into this […]
10 Ways You Know You Have Committed to Too Many “Opportunities.”
Your best friend lets you know he’s angry with you for never having time for him. Your wife has asked if she can schedule some time to see you. You cancel your discipleship meeting with your mentor for the 4th consecutive week. You check to see when you have an available date to hang […]
Is Love All You Really Need?
While preparing music for a Valentine’s banquet this weekend, I came across a song that I like that poses an interesting statement. Within the text of this song, the author makes the assertion that, “All you need is love.” But for so many, relationships after relationships have failed them, and the thought of Love having […]