Posts tagged “Grace”
Your sins are not like coffee grounds
It was 5:20 A.M. I was pulling out the coffeepot to pour my first cup when things went tragically awry. (I use the word…
The names of God: Redeemer
During the American Civil War, President Lincoln and the U.S. Congress had a desperate need for military manpower, so they instituted a military draft…
Jesus’ forgiving grace
I once heard of a pastor who had the best/most unsuccessful counseling idea. When couples brought their conflicts into his office, he would say…
Do you tremble at the words of God?
Every Holy Week, amid the sad and somber stories of the crucifixion of Christ, our congregation sings the old spiritual “Were You There?” Do…
Get out of Satan’s mouth
The apostle Peter warned, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). A good…
All the “feels”
One thing that stands out in the last week of Jesus’ life is that Jesus went through all the “feels.” If there was a…
A shout-out to “unslothy” women
The closest my wife gets to sloth is holding one. On a recent vacation, our family visited a sloth habitat in Honduras where my…
To forgive or not to forgive: A case study
Two men. One an Old Testament prophet, chosen by God to preach repentance and mercy to a tough crowd. One a New Testament believer,…
Towel animals (aka, Jesus serves)
You know the service is good when housekeeping turns your bathroom towel into a sloth. My extended family took a cruise recently and were…
Stop saying, “It’s okay,” because it’s not okay
About 13 years ago, when I was interning at a church, my boss/pastor said that we would not just preach about forgiveness; we would…
Pattern recognition
I’m looking forward to the changing of the guard. I’m hoping that young people who aren’t jaded by tribalism will go into church work…
The prayer of a struggling believer
Father, I’m struggling right now. My heart is heavy, and I don’t even fully understand what I’m feeling. I know I’ve messed up. I’ve…