As the AI arms race heats up and companies bombard us with commercials, how should we view this emerging technology?
Have you noticed people are becoming more and more inconsiderate out in public? If not, can I come live where you live?
An argument for why Christians should strongly consider not voting in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Multiple times, Jesus was asked to “Go Away” in his ministry. Let’s look at why.
God has created each of us for a purpose, yet the very nature of God's engagement with this world - through mysterious and confusing uses of his power - often leads us wondering if we're totally out of step with what God is doing in us and through us.
I usually tell God that if I only knew what he was up to, I'd be good to go. But unless I think I'm a better person than people like John the Baptist and Esther, I'm probably just fooling myself.
Let me explain...
Recently, I came across a line which the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi: "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:10 emphasis mine)
What the heck?
Why would Paul say he wants to suffer with Jesus?
I love Jesus. I would prefer to love Jesus without great pain or suffering or loss, if given the choice.
All of this leads me to ask a question: Is there a redemptive value in suffering?
I can be a bit of a control freak, but it only shows up in a few areas:
I can drive better than anybody else on the road and they should listen to me.
I have great kids, and if they do exactly what I say, they can pretty much hit perfection.
I know exactly what my favorite sports teams should do to be better.
Also, in every other area of my life, people should listen to me because I know exactly what should happen. Other than that, I don't have too many control issues.
Any of this sound familiar to you? If so, you may be a control freak, like me.
Violence, poverty, destructive politics...these are signs of a broken world.
Conditions like this can lead us to ask the question, 'When is God going to fix all this?'
To answer this, we have to ask, 'What exactly is wrong with the world?'
The answer to that question gives us a better picture of the problem, and it's bad news: the problem is me. But the good new is that the fix for me and the world is already available!
I've had several opportunities to interact with people in prison who have reached out to me via letters. I love getting letters from people in prison because they always ask important questions - about seeing real, practical change in their lives.
It's my honor to respond and (I hope) provide some valuable teaching and encouragement to people who I think Jesus would have always made time for in his schedule.
Recently, I received such a letter. It was the first letter from a person who got my info from another inmate. As it was closely connected with a topic I've been wrestling with in my own life recently, I've decided to share the contents with you...
Recently, the conversation around gender identification and gender fluidity (the concept that a person may identify their gender as male, female, neutrois, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities at any given time) has come into the public spotlight.
As some facilities in our society (specifically bathrooms, locker rooms, etc) are locked into the binary, either-or genders of our physical bodies, a person who does not necessarily identify their gender with their physical body is faced with a question of how to respond to this social construct. Do I go into the women's restroom when I identify as a woman, regardless of my gender?
Now, as a follower of Jesus, what am I to do with this?
So, what is the point of Christianity? I reject the answer that it's about 'getting to heaven'. To steal a line from N.T. Wright, the scriptures are pretty clear that God's purposes aren't about getting us into heaven, but rather getting heaven into us.
There's talk of us having the fullest possible life. There's the part of the Lord's Prayer asking for God's kingdom and will to be present on earth. In John 17, Jesus prays for everyone who will ever believe in him (v.20) and he specifically says, "I’m not asking you to take them out of the world..." (v.15).
No, our goal isn't to escape this world. It is to be part of God's restoration of this world. To prepare the way for God's justice and redemption by seeking those things in the areas of our life where we have the opportunity to make a difference.
So then, back to the question at hand. How do I know if I'm doing this correctly?
In Matthew 6, Jesus twice tells the people who are listening to the Sermon on the Mount that God the Father already knows "all your needs" and therefore we should not worry. These statements comes immediately before and after he explains how to pray; which includes statements about keeping prayer short and keeping it private.
So clearly, prayer is important...but, what is it supposed to look like in my life?
God's presence is in my life. He has promised that as I have asked him to fill my heart with his Holy Spirit, he has done it.
But my life still has issues. I'm still a work in progress. Does that mean God isn't really a part of my life? Not at all.
Just because I'm broken doesn't mean I am not also blessed...
If you ask, in a church celebration, how many people have been hurt in or by a church, the vast majority of hands will go up.
This is an unfortunate dynamic, but one that reinforces something that we already know - believing in Jesus doesn't make any of us perfect people.
I have no doubt that many who read this have dealt with frustrations or hurts suffered at the hands of a church or specifically church leadership. I am no different. In fact, I was thinking recently about my journey through churches and what I've had to endure.
I wish to share some of my story here, and at the end, to explain why I seem to refuse to 'learn my lesson' and swear off church forever (though I essentially did avoid it for a time) in order to avoid the possibility for further pain.
I'll spare you the full story and jump right to the breaking point...
God has a habit of not doing what I want, when I want, how I want.
That's probably a good thing seeing as how God is way smarter than I am and way more loving than I am.
Seriously. God loves me, my family, and the whole world; and he promises that he'll make everything come together for a good result.
If I really believe that last sentence, I'm never going to worry about a thing. Turns out sometimes I have a hard time believing that last sentence, because I wrestle with worry pretty often.
I seem to have two choices: get on board with the reality of a place of eternal torment or ignore the whole thing as best I can.
I'm not the kind to ignore stuff, and I can't get happy about the first option, so here are some perspectives I apply to the concept of hell as I try to put it into proper perspective in my life of faith:
makingfaithpractical.com
Evangelism.
When you see that word, what do you think?
Do you picture a guy with a bullhorn?
Do you picture yourself telling the lady sitting next to you on the plane about how she's heading for hell?
Is it the 'Jesus sales pitch' you learned in Sunday school complete with visual examples, like your keyring?
I gotta tell you, I don't get excited by any of those situations. Let me explain why: I love genuine relationships and chances to build community with people. But when somebody has an ulterior motive, it ruins the chance for relationship.
If you start telling me about how you think I'd be a great sales rep for your multilevel marketing business, we're probably done talking. I don't think you're interested in me, I think you're interested in what you can get out of me.
But on the flip side, I take Jesus seriously, and he talks about making disciples throughout the world. So how can I spread the Good News of Jesus without coming across as a disingenuous huckster?
