In Matthew 10, Jesus names and sends his disciples out on mission. The first ten verses might be thoroughly inviting to any prospective missionary, but when you get to verse eleven you start reading about the first signs of rejection. Sometimes...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
One thing I really appreciate about the Scriptures is that whenever I read them, I get reality. Jesus is compassionate toward his disciples, but he is also transparently honest about reality, especially when it comes to sending them on mission....[ abbreviated | read entire ]
God Knows How to Rescue You 2 Peter 2:9 “…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” So many of us find it difficult to face the opposition...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
To many of us look around this world and see the ascendancy of evil men and evil schemes and become overwhelmed. If we live our lives by what we see on the news through the internet and TV, it can intimidate us into shrinking away from our great...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
During my early church years, the “seeker sensitive” movement was spreading like a wildfire in Australia. A great many churches were tailoring their styling and messaging toward a sincere desire to show hospitality to...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
All of us have had situations in our lives where we have deemed a certain person to be needy. We might use terms like “high maintenance,” or call a needy girl a ‘princess.” When we think of neediness like this, we...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
What is your motivation for following Jesus? You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11. When we read the gospels and the epistles in the New...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
We love five-star ratings. If a movie has a five-star rating, we want to see it. If a restaurant has a five-star rating, we want to eat at it. If a product has a five-star rating, we want to buy it. If a hotel has a five-star rating, we want to...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
There is a well-known saying that I often use for people who are Church hunting. “If you find the perfect Church, don’t go there because you’ll ruin it.” For people who haven’t heard this statement before, they will...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Our church supports missionaries who work both in local churches and in parachurch organizations. I often use parachurch organizations for help on particular issues, but some Christians have resisted any acknowledgement of parachurch organizations...[ abbreviated | read entire ]