Tag Archives: Love

What Does 1 Thessalonians Say about Masks?

This post is a few months in coming because I’m woefully behind on my writing for all kinds of personal reasons (maybe more on that some other time). But we’re also preaching through 1 Thessalonians at Arise Church right now, so I was reminded about a post I’d started a while back. I write thisContinue reading “What Does 1 Thessalonians Say about Masks?“

Six Quick Suggestions for Surviving Social Distancing

As more and more of our world is shutting down and embracing social distancing, some of us are wondering how we’re going to make it through the next several weeks with our sanity intact. I don’t have the answers, but I do have six suggestions that I hope are helpful. 1. Limit your time onContinue reading “Six Quick Suggestions for Surviving Social Distancing”

Visiting with Jesus

I first caught a glimpse of him through the doorbell camera at church. He looked cold and a little scraggly, and when I went to open the door, he was shorter than I expected. But there he was: the Son of God in human flesh. We talked for a while, as anyone might when theyContinue reading “Visiting with Jesus”

Suggestions for Social Media Sanity

In case you haven’t heard, social media has garnered quite the reputation. Whether you’re talking about the perniciousness of Twitter-fueled outrage, the placidity of hashtag activism, the propensity to waste hours of your life, the easy propagation of fake news, or the paucity of meaningful conversation, social media is often viewed negatively. But social mediaContinue reading “Suggestions for Social Media Sanity”

Should I Hide When Mormons Come Knocking?

One of the great privileges of serving in the local church is the opportunity to hear intriguing questions from congregants. A couple of weeks ago, I had such an experience after talking about evangelism. The topic of door-to-door Mormon missionaries  came up, and eventually our conversation turned to how to interact with non-Christian missionaries—and ifContinue reading “Should I Hide When Mormons Come Knocking?”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with celebrations of the abundance and family with which our heavenly Father has blessed us! Psalm 100: For Thanksgiving Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!     Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!     ItContinue reading “Happy Thanksgiving!”

The Dangers of Isolation

Isolation is dangerous. Webster defines isolation as “to set apart from others; quarantine; insulate.” While brief periods of isolation may not be dangerous, isolation has become a way of life for many. Despite easier, less-expensive, and more accessible interaction with other people, contemporary humans may be the most isolated in history. I will leave othersContinue reading “The Dangers of Isolation”

Book Review: Called to the Life of the Mind (Mouw)

Richard J. Mouw’s Called to the Life of the Mind: Some Advice for Evangelical Scholars (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014) is short on length but long on insight. Weighing in at only 74 pages, Mouw’s work is part biography, part example, and all exhortation to love God and people through the life of the mind.

Questions about Getting Saved in America

In “Getting Saved in America: Conversion Event in a Pluralistic Culture,” Bill Leonard outlines the history of the salvation conversion experience in the American context, more specifically the history of the eastern “evangelical protestant”[1] conversion experience. Tracing the event from its Puritan beginnings in the New World to its current usage among American church people,Continue reading “Questions about Getting Saved in America”