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Discipline: Confession of a Recovering Tostitos Addict
- -“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11) My latest big adventure is my new job as an online substance abuse disorder counselor. There’s so much to learn, but I… Read More -
Whose Fool are You?
- -The reading plan I’ve settled into for the year has me alternating between Old and New Testaments throughout the week, and presently I am in Job and 1 Corinthians. Last week I wrote about Job, and honestly, I was left with more questions than answers. I’m sure I’ll have another… Read More -
Validation
- -I’ve been reading Job recently, and I’ve become a big fan of this book! I’m impressed with Job’s incredibly bold lament and complaint toward God. The poetry is incredible, but it truly fits in the category of wisdom literature. Such deep spiritual counsel straight from the mind of God. One… Read More -
"Buts" and "Ands"
- -So often in ministry and counseling work I encounter people who are plagued by “buts.” “I’d like to get out and meet some new people, but…. “I’d like to go back to church but….” “I’d like to tell my husband/wife/mom/dad/son/daughter, etc. how I really feel, but…. “I’d like to quit… Read More -
Following
-“The quiet, passionate insistence of his ‘Follow me” is spoken to those with every power wide awake. If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we too shall hear something akin to what Isaiah heard, the still small voice of God, and in perfect… Read More -
The Puzzle
- -I came across this essay in my files that I wrote on a snowy February day in West Virginia in 2003, and thought it was a good week to share it. I’ve always liked jigsaw puzzles, especially on snowed-in days like this one. I enjoy the relaxing and invigorating mental… Read More -
Manifesto of the Moment
- -This is the moment for the followers of Jesus. This is not the moment to shrink back in fear; it is the moment to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. This is not the moment to deny that we know and love Jesus; it is the moment… Read More -
There is No Plan B
- -Many years ago, when I was a worship leader in Ohio, my pastor and I came to an understanding. I told him that the Lord had forbidden me to lead our congregation out of my own musical ability or experience. I was only to use my abilities in response to… Read More -
Imitators
- -Like it or not, throughout life we almost always have someone who is watching us. Someone may actually be following our example. Imitating us. It may be a sibling, a friend, a student, a person we’re discipling, or someone we don’t even know. But they know or see something in… Read More -
God's Mysterious Plan
- -(*This is the second essay in an end-of-crazy-2020 series.) I remember the first time I watched the movie “The Sixth Sense,” a brilliantly written and acted thriller. I got so caught up in the characters that I did not perceive that I was experiencing a sense of mystery. Toward the… Read More -
An Embarrassment of Riches
- -About thirty-five years ago, a young musician living in New York City was drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ purely by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. There was no one preaching to her, and no one she could think of that would have been praying for her to come… Read More -
God Laughs, We Laugh
- -I love the story of Abraham and Sarah when God announced they were going to have a baby in their old age. The text says that “Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief” (Gen. 17:17). Really, God? Very funny. God laughs, and sometimes he… Read More
The Scripture Comes to Life Blog
One of my greatest joys is reading and studying the Bible. While I do so, I pray that God will give me supernatural insight I’ve never seen or heard preached before. He has faithfully done so. A teacher at heart, my study is driven by a desire to teach and share the wonderful truths he reveals.
I’ve written on a wide variety of themes and topics. The blogs are searchable by topic and with keywords.
As you read, may Scripture come to life for you in many marvelous and helpful ways.