A friend of mine, Michael Chapman is going through a tough time right now – watching his mother die. She’s been whispering to someone while she’s in a out of consciousness over the past few days. Mike wrote a blog describing it and shared this …
Read MoreLittle Shovel
On his blog, Seth Godin writes “If you want to dig a big hole, you need to stay in one place.” I wonder how this applies to evangelism? He explains that if you take your little shovel all over town, you’ll end up with a …
Read MoreHosea & Gomer
Read Hosea 1:1-3:5 – The Message As you read notice that I have inserted a few of my own comments (in blue). I’m hoping that they will help you to understand what you’re reading a bit more. Hosea 1 1 This is God’s Message to …
Read MoreWorship by Sweat
I was exercising this morning and started thinking about an old friend of mine. Dustan Thrift was a “sweat worshiper.” He once said, “If I didn’t sweat then I didn’t worship.” We had been talking about worship in our small group and had decided that …
Read MoreKingdom of Heaven
The Gospel of Matthew uses the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” instead of “Kingdom of God.” Here’s why: Matthew was written specifically for a Jewish audience, while the other Gospels were written to a broader audience. The broader audience would need the more precise “Kingdom of …
Read MoreTorah and Mitzvah
I learned a little Hebrew today. Thought it was worth sharing. “Torah” = “Law” in Christian Bibles, but in a Jewish bible it’s almost always translated “teaching.” As Christians, we typically talk about the Old Testament law as the means by which God showed us, …
Read More5 Life-Changing Experiences – Israel
February of 1996. I was 26 years old. I had been a youth minister for 8 years. Full-time for 4. The youth had all gotten together for my birthday and given me $$ to go skydiving (on my bucketlist of things to do). My Pastor, …
Read MorePlaying in the Dirt
Lately I’ve been reading a book called “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus.” So far, it’s a great book – all about the Jewishness of Jesus and the insights that come to the Scriptures when you understand Jewish culture. I’m loving it!!! (I’m hoping …
Read MoreJesus in the Passover – Maundy Thursday
I had the pleasure of leading our congregation through a Seder/Passover meal a couple of years ago. I put together a little booklet called a “Haggadah“ to explain the symbolism behind each element of the meal. I made the booklet into a slide show for …
Read MorePagan Christianity
“Pagan Christianity” by Frank Viola and George Barna is an interesting read. I read it a few months ago, and quite honestly, I’ve been wrestling with it ever since. I haven’t blogged or posted anything, ’cause I simply don’t know what to think. The book …
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