It is a classic text. Jesus is laying out the cost of discipleship for those who want to be his disciples. The crowds have gotten large. The bandwagon is growing. Crowds draw crowds. Crowds that would fill most division one basketball arenas are sitting on hillsides straining to hear every word He says. “Did you … More Cross-bought therefore Cross-shaped
This morning I was reading my copy of Pilgrim’s Progress and ran across a principle that I have seen in operation too much of late. “Christian” leaves a place of rest to continue on his journey to the celestial city. He descends a hill and in the valley below meets Apollyon (Satan) rising to do … More Pilgrims Progress and the Fear to Stand
Pray with me. “Lord Jesus, we can do nothing without You. We are so satiated with our comforts and toys, and games, and achievements, and power.We are so infatuated with new things, shiny things, beautiful things.We fail to take up our cross, we fail … More A Mid-day Prayer for Revival
“Whenever a man is praised it is meet for him to think about his sins and then consider, he should say ‘I am unworthy of the things that are said about me.” —Anonymous One of my professor colleagues at the seminary I taught at in California had a raw bluntness that cut through false modesty … More The Awkwardness of Praise and the Cancer it Feeds
As the sand trickles out of the hourglass of my life, I look at my shelfs with new thoughts. “These volumes have blessed and challenged me, how could I bless other with them now?” For a lot of different people, the answer to that question, has resulted in unexpected gifts to friends, neighbors and colleagues. … More Re-examining My Book Shelf
Two great Americans and two great quotes. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed in the things you didn’t do than the things that you did.” Mark Twain It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could … More Twain, Roosevelt and Us
This is a story I read years and years ago. I was reminded of it again last night when an old friend from California contacted me on LinkedIN and we talked about the difference the gospel makes in our live in contrast to the triviality of some of the things that we spend our lives … More Trivial Pursuit or Changing the World?
“We are the colorful ones.” (Keith Green) Our lives, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, are the only Jesus people will see or hear. Keith Green understood that. He knew that the people were always watching us to see if there was any consistency between what we proclaimed and how we … More Our Lives are Windows
This is not a political prophecy. It isn’t an economic prophecy. I’m not in the prophecy business, frankly. It’s not a Socialism vs. Capitalism, Democrat vs. Republican, right vs. left, gay vs. straight, or any other grouping of characters or philosophies currently pitted against one another in the tooth-and-claw media narratives that are all the … More The Coming Darkness
Two years ago while I was the pastor of another church, our church started to rethink how we are forming people in Christ, i.e. discipleship. As a part of that process I ran across one church’s description of . . . The Chair The Row and the The Circle I thought it was very … More Making Space to Do What We are Called to Do–Make Disciples
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