Category Archives: Uncategorized

Throughout the Bible there are patterns. It’s actually these patterns that should form what we believe. Instead of isolating individual verses and taking them out of context we should pay attention to the patterns of the Bible to form what we believe. One such pattern we see is that God has a holy habit ofContinue reading “God Pursues You”

When Jesus was alive he took the disciples to Jerusalem. Now that Jesus (so they thought) was dead the disciples are leaving Jerusalem. This is the context of the infamous “Road to Emmaus” story. It’s still the third day in this story. The men(disciples) have heard the story from the women(disciples) that Jesus’ body wasn’tContinue reading “We Had Hoped”

Easter Sunday should be a guarantee that the preacher is going to preach – the crucified one is the risen one. It’s obvious. But just because something is obvious doesn’t mean we stop proclaiming it. I heard someone quip one time, “We must continue to preach the obvious or else it will not be obviousContinue reading “The Weight of Hope”

The Bible is not a textbook. It’s an account of sinful humanity being relentlessly pursued by a Holy God. It’s true stories. Timeless parables. Gut-wrenching accounts.  Awkward moments. Convicting truths. Real people.  To be faithful Bible readers, we would be wise to encounter this book by letting our imaginations run wild – for us toContinue reading “Two Trees”

It seems like it was just yesterday. Jesus was at a wedding with some friends and upon being asked, but not technically asked, by his mother, to do something about the wine shortage, he replies, “my time has not yet come”. Those six words will reverberate throughout the rest of John’s Gospel. Jesus, though livingContinue reading “Holy Love + Vibrant Intellect + Practical Theology = Kingdom Living”

What a haunting verse, “and Satan entered Judas”.  We aren’t talking about an outsider, we aren’t talking about Herod, a Pharisee, or a Roman guard. This is a disciple, one of the twelve (which Luke is quick to mention), of whom Satan has entered. Throughout the gospels there really isn’t much about Judas Iscariot. ThereContinue reading “Satan Enters Judas”

Let’s just call it like it is, is Jesus losing it? He is weeping. He is cursing trees. He is turning over tables in the temple. Seriously, what is it with this guy? Is he truly Lord or is he just another lunatic on walkabout? When we actually resist the urge to go from “HosannaContinue reading “Cursing & Tossing”

There really is only one story in the Bible. Now, yes, there are hundreds of stories, but these are all part of the grander story that is God demonstrating his great love for all of creation, through his creative acts and his redemptive acts. Amidst all these stories are certain ones that we know soContinue reading “Reclaiming Palm Sunday”

St. Patrick’s Day really is a perfect recipe for trouble. For instance, it’s right smack in the middle of March, which means warmer weather, Spring Break has just ended for college students and will soon be here for high school students. Put that together with the fact we are a country who simply loves toContinue reading “Pursuing Patrick”