There have been countless times you’ve heard, “That’s not fair!” At one point, it’s likely Peter said this too, especially as a boy. Yet adult Peter says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism (verse 34).” Conceptionally, we get adult Peter’s point. God is fair, just and equal....

When we lose the notion that church is heaven and all those who worship there are angels complete with halos and wings, then we actually begin to give something rather than get something. And that is what church is—the opportunity to give something. What do we give? Oh, I’m not...

Raised as a Christmas tree farmer’s son, I learned one of the best lessons. Christmas doesn’t just fall on Christmas. This miracle—and all its yuletide joy—happens again on December 26th, December 27th, December 28th and so on. Imagine your dad being awakened by his kids around 5 AM on Christmas...

A newborn today is often just hours old before his or her face is spread across social circles via technology. Amazing how this Good News not only travels but also is documented for the world to know. (Congrats to all who have welcomed an addition this year!) In an interesting...

The overwhelming majority of people present at Jesus’ death wanted a Messiah King who would eradicate their problems in the now, not in some far-off future. This outlander riding on a donkey instead of a stallion? This “King” born not in a palace but a barn? How can this Jesus...

This has happened to all of us. At the right time at the right place we’ve said the right thing. Of course! We’re brilliant (or mostly brilliant). Here’s a little truth for you. Sometimes I scramble for just the right thing to say at the right time. My job is...

  A baby lives for minutes after she’s born. A twenty-one-year-old son and a close friend to dozens of peers dies after a series of bad choices. The word cancer is back. Your financial security is not secure. A single, want-to-be dad still waits to adopt after five years of...

Are your experiences with God shareable, or should they be kept private? We begin with this question as we pick up from last week’s column where I wrote about how many of us have become our own islands when it comes to sharing our godly experiences. In last week’s conclusion,...

I get it. You have your relationship with God. It’s personal. It’s private. And it’s none of anyone else’s business. For some, there is no draw to come to worship because the church may strain your relationship with God, which, according to you, is fine as it is. After all,...

To a kid who grew up on a dead-end dirt road tucked away in a part of very rural Susquehanna County, Halloween was always—eh. Just eh. No expectations. No excitement. Mom and dad packed us kids and off we rode around the nearby town of some twenty houses. In and...