Leader || Preacher || Teacher
It’s been a great week for sports. Tiger Wood’s comeback victory to win the Masters after an 11 -year hiatus from major victories was amazing. Most people thought his career was finished. Many thought that he would never win a major event again.
How do you know when something or someone is finished?
Continue reading “It is Finished but it’s Not Over”
“We eat, we drink, the next day we die,” and that’s all there is to it. But don’t fool yourselves. Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. “Bad company ruins good manners.” – 1 Cor 15:32-33 (MSG Bible). I believe these words are fitting for our society’s current state as we are surrounded by bad news, fake news, moral outrage, hot topics, and hot takes. Our hearts are pulled into perpetual fear anticipating the next big failure, with a limited view of possible solutions. It is no wonder politics (based on fear, doomsday rhetoric, and outrage) are our religion and those in office are our saviors.
Continue reading “Good News: Believe It”
Recently, I had trouble going to sleep. I finally feel asleep only to wake up early. Why? I was replaying a scene in my head where someone had been offended and I was the offender. Maybe you can relate. You replay the scene like a choose your own adventure book. You relive the moment but this time, in your thoughts you say the right thing and do the right thing. If only we could change the past, right? Better yet, if only we could forgive ourselves. What if I told you that forgiveness is giving up the fantasy that the past could be any different.
I arrived at the Denver International Airport with enough time to casually go through security and make it to my gate with a few minutes to spare before boarding. This is one of the things I love about living in Denver. I can make to the airport with little traffic, it’s convenient. Only problem is this time I met a man who needed my attention, more than that he needed medical attention.
“I’ll give you more than a song. For a song in itself is not what you have required.” When we think of worship we may only think of it terms of singing but what made these lyrics from Michael W. Smith’s song “The Heart of Worship” so powerful is that worship is so much more.
It is not common to pull up into a restaurant parking lot for breakfast only to see a car slowly roll past you going backwards. “Wow, nice car! Huh, why is it rolling backwards across the parking lot? Why isn’t there anyone driving it? Oh no, its headed for that bank!” One moment I’m exiting my vehicle thinking about a tasty breakfast and the next I’m sprinting behind an unmanned car. I am the only thing standing in the way of this Porsche Panamera from crashing into a bank. That’s right I “risked my life” to save a luxury car from crashing into a financial institution. ‘Merica!
“I want to have a closer relationship with God.” This is usually the sentiment from Christ followers. Many of the spiritual disciplines we practice are for us to be “closer.” We want to have that connection and to feel His closeness. The cross brings believers near. The cross makes us one with God and other followers. The cross was Jesus’ ultimate act of service for humanity. It was his purpose for coming in the flesh. The cross reconciles and makes us close but we will never feel close to Jesus unless we choose to follow him in death and service. Continue reading “Closer || The Journey of Service”
The Apostle Paul captures the life, death, and the majesty of Christ poetically with just seven verses in Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV). Continue reading “The Selfless Savior”
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way (Isaiah 53:6). This is the spiritual state of the world. We are all prone to wander. What causes us to wander away from God and how does God seek to reclaim his own?
I grew up Catholic but when I went to college I stopped going to mass. The only time I remember going was during Holy Week (Holy Week leads up to Easter). I attended a Maundy/Holy Thursday service. I went because I thought I might witness the Stations of the Cross. They did not give the Stations that evening. I missed it and it is one of the traditions that I miss from my Catholic days. I did not go the next day of any other day afterward. I thought, “this may be last time I go to church.” Little did I know, God had different plans.