Deeper Worship
Several years ago, I joined a local business organization. Their Statement of Purpose was to help businesspeople do their job better with a kind of …
Intimate Theology
When God Seems Absent
Years ago, Denise Walters was running up her high school stairway. Near the landing, her knees suddenly felt weak and she collapsed. Within hours her …
Heaven or Hell?
My dad died April 1st, 1996, almost twenty-five years ago. His theology prohibited choosing the day of death, but if he could have chosen, it would …
Feeling God’s Love
I’ve been talking with a young man whose spiritual life is an emotional yo-yo. One day he feels God’s love and the next day he feels nobody’s love. In …
Friendship
Mark Maxam was my best friend from ages eight to eighteen. Except for three long months. Inseparable companions, we walked to school together, learned …
Giving God My Emptiness
My leadership at my church feels fruitless; my last few sermons stank; in the first 34 weeks of this year, I published only 25 “weekly” articles; and …
Lady, You Are So Lucky!
Years ago, I attended a Friday night high school prayer meeting. One evening a young woman stood up and said that she ran a red light on the way to …
Fear of Fruitlessness
Last week God shocked me with two verses spoken to one of his prophets: “You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You …
Try Confession Without Repentance
Several years ago, I repented to God for something small. I hadn’t stolen candy from a baby, oppressed a widow, or coveted a neighbor’s cow. I had …
I Refuse to Believe in a God Who …
Years ago I had lunch with a client distraught over his wife’s recent death from cancer. He sighed, “I just can’t believe God would allow such …
Warming Up to the Resurrection
While in middle school, I attended a church retreat in the middle of January. The temperature was five degrees below zero (-20° C). With friends I …
Slow Burn Wrath
A month ago, my wife and I heard a sermon during a weekend trip to New Mexico. The vacation was great. The sermon was horrible. The story was Jesus …