Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

Life is meant to be enjoyed. God declared it good. Yet we know that the wholesome earthiness of life is best savored by a robust faith in God through Jesus Christ. Healthy followers of Christ are learning to do both well: enjoy life, and to enjoy God…they are not in opposition, but inseparably connected.

“Enjoy Life, Enjoy God” is a concise word of encouragement drawing upon biblical insights. Encouragement, at its root meaning, involves not only a pep talk, or pat on the back, but sometimes a candid voice of exhortation. But it’s all cloaked in the grace of God. ELEG is a daily word to be read in less than a minute, but may uplift you for the day.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)

TEMPTED? SORT OF... - March 10, 2010
Temptation happens outside of us, initially. But, but it quickly...

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GOLD MEDAL - March 9, 2010
Just a few days ago the Winter Olympics entertained us, maybe even...
YOU - March 8, 2010
Even the most self-confident of us often feel...
STAND IN A CANOE - March 5, 2010
Ever try to stand up in a canoe? It's quite a challenge, and for most of us, we won't be standing long...
PURE JOY - March 4, 2010
What comes to your mind when you hear the word, "joy?" For me...
RECKONING - March 3, 2010
Sometimes when I hear a Christian official announce in the media that some...
RENEWAL - March 1, 2010
Our inspiration, our devotion, in truth, fluctuates up and down. In spite of...
ROSETTA STONE - February 26, 2010
If my memory serves me correctly, the famous Rosetta Stone...
MANASSEH - February 25, 2010
Here we go again...
SPREAD IT OUT - February 24, 2010
Sometimes life and circumstances threaten to swamp us, overwhelm us. I have learned...
FAITH A VERB - February 23, 2010
Someties when we look only at the facts, the hard data, what we see may seem bleak. The data is so...
HEZEKIAH - February 22, 2010
The rogue's gallery of sleaze-ball kings throughout 2 Kings takes a time-out when we meet...
THE END--PART? - February 19, 2010
Page after page of social and national decline marks much of 2 Kings. Not too cheery. Yet...
WHEN GOD BOWS TO KINGS - February 18, 2010
I confess, it's sometimes a bit of a challenge to find words of exhortation, and encouragement...
THE GENERATIONS - February 17, 2010
We inherit from our parents, ancestors our DNA; we learn by example much good, and some not so good. At least in part, we are those who've gone before us...
JOSEPH, OUR TEACHER - February 16, 2010
We are students and learn our life lessons by many diverse means, sometimes...
NEGATIVE BALLAST - February 15, 2010
I don't know too much about boats, ships, etc. but I do know that...
JEHU - February 12, 2010
In Texas it's, "Yay-who," elsewhere, maybe, "yaw-who," ...
GOD IS GOD... - February 11, 2010
In the movie, "Rudy," the wanna be Notre Dame football player...
GRACE & SELF-ESTEEM - February 10, 2010
Self-Esteem is a relatively new concept. It was deemed a corrective to self-condemnation, among other things. But self-esteem is...
BROKEN RECORD - February 9, 2010
Remember the old days, Remember the old days, Remember the old days...?
KILL THE MESSENGER - February 8, 2010
It's an age-old truth it seems, we people confuse the message with the messenger. Imagine beating up...
CHARIOTS OF FIRE - February 5, 2010
Ever hear a phrase or a story from the Bible...
RASTLE - February 4, 2010
I love to hear a young guy say,"...
LOCAL GODS - February 3, 2010
21st century wisdom tells us that ...
CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS - February 3, 2010
The Psalmist tells us that our father in heaven owns the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10). In other words...
AN INHERITANCE - February 1, 2010
To be inspired by another person's life can be a blessing to the one who inspires us, as well as ourselves.
FIRST COMMANDMENT - January 29, 2010
You shall have no other gods before me. --Exodus 20:3 TNIV
GENERATIONS - January 28, 2010
The biblical perspective exalts the passing on of the faith and its practice from generation to generation above...
MAJORITY RULES? - January 27, 2010
Democracy is a wonderful thing, and the rule of the majority a blessing. But that the majority rules does not mean...
REAL ESTATE DEAL GONE BAD - January 26, 2010
Ever been ripped off? Ever had anyone treat you...
WISDOM OF WORD - January 25, 2010
I'm not sure why you read "Enjoy Life, Enjoy God."
ELIJAH & ELISHA - January 22, 2010
Many of the great leaders I've known personally, especially Christian leaders, have made it a point to...
ALL ALONE? - January 21, 2010
Feeling isolated, abandoned, or going it alone, can be...
HOW MANY TIMES? - January 20, 2010
Do you learn the first time? To learn a lesson are you one that...
VICTIM OF SOY-CUM-STANCE - January 19, 2010
Curly, of Three Stooges fame, when caught by his buddy, Moe, who was about to poke Curly in the eyes, heard Curly's defense: "I was a...
WORD IS TRUTH - January 18, 2010
The widow of Zarephath heard prophets, holy men speak before. She had less and less use for them...
AHAB & JEZEBEL - January 15, 2010
The worst of Alcatraz, murderer's row--imagine a person, the worst ever to...
ASA - January 14, 2010
Question: Do you do what you believe, OR, believe what you do?
NEVERTHELESS - January 13, 2010
"Nevertheless" is one of those big little words. Unlike "and," or "but," it has...
GIVEN YOUR WORD - January 12, 2010
"To give your word," is meant to make a promise, and keep it. It may also affect how we understand God's Word.
CIVIL WAR - January 11, 2010
A war within, "civil," as in, we behave decently, kindly, thoughtfully, "civilly."  "Now tell them...
DISTRACTED - January 7, 2010
His competitors often marvelled at Jack Nicklaus' amazing focus, his concentration. Jack avoided distraction...
MY OWN EYES - January 6, 2010
"Seeing is believing." Doubting Thomas wanted to see the risen Christ before he'd jump on the resurrection band wagon. Yet...
CREDIT - January 5, 2010
I'm no accountant. But a credit, simply put,,,
PRAYER ANSWERED - January 4, 2010
Imagine God coming to us after we've prayed. "Okay, I heard your prayer. Very good! Here's my answer to your prayer. This is what ...
PARTY ON! - January 1, 2010
Maybe I'm a half a day late or so...
UNDIVIDED HEART - December 31, 2009
A great challenge of discipleship is that often we mean well, we have good intentions, but our lives are so conflicted with internal divisions and priorities. We...
CASUAL SOCIETY - December 30, 2009
That's where we live today. Formal wear, "dressing up," are all but relics of the past. Yet there is a caution to allow "casual" to affect our theology and practice. When all the work King Solomon...
FOUNDATIONAL PROMISE - December 29, 2009
"If you agree to serve as an officer in the United States Army for a certain period of time, we will...
BUILDING PROGRAM - December 28, 2009
Sometimes in our enthusiasms, we launch out on new initiatives, bold programs. Sometimes we build a hospital in our name, or...
BLESSING STEWARDSHIP - December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas! I pray that amidst the stress of the Christmas holiday, the potential "downsides," that it's the joy that triumphs for you. So I say again, "Merry Christmas!"  
WISDOM FROM ABOVE - December 24, 2009
In Bethlehem so many years ago, God broke into the world from above. Some looked to the star as a sign that a rescuer, a king, a Savior was to come...
A GOOD EDUCATION - December 23, 2009
  We are a people who value getting a good education for ourselves, and the next generations. Yet...
CHRISTMAS & REDEMPTION - December 22, 2009
As precious as the picture of a baby in the manger can be, of God come in the flesh, incarnation, still it is redemption that captures my attention.
THE WASH - December 21, 2009
I'm sure my grandmother was troubled about inequities in the world, in our family, in the immediate neighborhood. Yet I remember...
THE WAY OF ALL - December 18, 2009
A course in logic and philosophy taught me, "every" or "all," are universal inclusives, meaning...
BOW DOWN - December 17, 2009
To bow down before another person, literally, in our Western culture is all but unheard of. Yet, it is a posture of significance, even for disciples today...
LEADERSWHIP VACUUM - December 16, 2009
Leadership requires vigilance. The captain of the ship, even when...
COME - December 15, 2009
At no time is the Christian faith meant to be irrational, or to disengage one's mind. Yet the faith is not ...
RIVER OF LIFE - December 14, 2009
In southwestern Utah I saw a desolate, parched landscape, but then...
BUILDING PROJECTS - December 11, 2009
The people of God have forever been fascinated with houses for God: tents in the wilderness, tabernacles, the ark of the covenant, The Great Temple, and...
BOX OF KLEENEX - December 10, 2009
We use facial tissues for a variety of purposes beyond makeup removal, and blowing our noses when we have a cold. Imagine a day when we have no need for Kleenex.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? - December 8, 2009
The next time you fret, are overwhelmed with concern or anxiety, and mutter, "What am I going to do?" I suggest you...
WHITE HORSE WORD - December 7, 2009
The spectacles throughout John's Revelation are terrible and fascinating. But remember...
FALLEN BABYLON - December 4, 2009
Some people are fascinated by the amazing, if not, terrifying images of The Revelation. Others are...
HIT PARADE - December 2, 2009
In the early days of television there was a weekly show, Hit Parade, that followed and promoted pop music. Hit Parade let us know the hits, and we heard them performed.
666 - December 1, 2009
A number of terror? 666, the "mark of the beast" (Rev 13:18) For all the ink spilled on this controversy, a reverent reading by faithful Christ-followers should be a note of hope and encouragement, not terror.
AT WAR - November 30, 2009
People who first heard The Revelation of John knew that they were at war. The penalty for belief in Christ earned no end of retribution. War was all around.
BOUNDARIES - November 25, 2009
Boundaries can be a political or geographic marker indicating a claim, possession or the like. But boundaries can also mark the limits, as in, it can go this far, but no father, not beyond.
PRAYER PERFUME - November 24, 2009
Realtors know that fresh baking bread is a great aroma to have in a house when people are thinking about buying. Perfume has been known to stop a man in his tracks.
THE SONGS - November 23, 2009
When people read The Revelation of John, I notice that as a rule they discount or overlook the songs. What do you mean? Those passages...
HEADLINE NEWS - November 20, 2009
Ever get sick of hearing the headline news? Murderous shootings at army bases, economic instability, fears of new diseases, parents abusing children....on and on. Make you sick? What's going on? How to understand such malevolence and evil? There are no easy answers, but...
SLAIN LION - November 19, 2009
Superheroes are fun characters, but they ain't real! Troubling times need to be grounded in,,,
LAODICEA COFFEE - November 18, 2009
"Moderation in all things."  "I don't want to get too excited."  This may be good street wisdom for us common folk, but it may be quite contrary to the spirit of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. 
IN CHARGE - November 17, 2009
Apocalyptic literature always is written to a suffering, persecuted people, ones in the crush of a crucible. That ought to influence our interpreation and understanding of the writing.  Day and....
HOLD ON - November 16, 2009
The soul duo, Sam & Dave, crooned, "Hold on, I'm comin'..." Maybe from a slightly different note, it's a song for Christ followers as well.  Since you...
UNFINISHED - November 13, 2009
"Unfinished business"--we know the term, the concept. But what if it were spoken of us, as in we have some, we are some unfinished business?  I know your deeds...
GRACE, PATIENCE AND COLE PORTER - November 12, 2009
Many of you may not know the name Cole Porter. He wrote many wonderful songs back in the 1930s and 40s: "Night & Day," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and "Anything Goes." "Anything Goes" is a delightful song, and may describe the times, but...
YET - November 11, 2009
"Yet" is a powerful three-letter word.  Often it changes...
THE CROWN - November 10, 2009
"Crown" is a biblical symbol of accomplishment, a precious gift, reward. It could be said that our crown is what we've always hoped for.  Do not be...
FIRST THINGS - November 9, 2009
Married couples come to me and share that they face some discord, challenges, after ten, fifteen or more years. The thrill is gone.  Yet I hold this against you...
FRATERNITY - November 6, 2009
Part of the meaning of the word "fraternity" is belonging together with others, sisters and brothers strengthened by a common commitment.  I,...
A TO Z - November 5, 2009
The first and last letters of the alphabet. But the expression, "A to Z," is not only about first and last, but also about all in between.  I am ....
APOCALYPSE - November 4, 2009
Ever play peek with a toddler? Hide the ball...
BUILDING - November 3, 2009
The Law of Entropy says things fall apart if left to themselves. Discipleship is not immune to entropy. Discipleship is about intentional building.  But...
PRESUMPTOUS GRACE - November 2, 2009
What makes the gospel good news surely in the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Grace, umerited favor, showered upon us. Surely, this is the good news. But...
ESTABLISHED - October 30, 2009
I think most of us go through a time when we try to "find ourselves." I know quite a few who never do. It's not... 
TONY D - October 29, 2009
I read a number of books about leadership. Tony Dungy's, Quiet Strength, is his story as a National Football League coach. He's not your cookie cutter coach; he doesn't fit the stereotype. May I scandalize none ...
EVERYONE HAS HEARD ABOUT... - October 28, 2009
What do you want to be known for? What do people value us for? What is impressive?
GREETING - October 27, 2009
When we see the word, "Greetings" at the beginning of a letter, it's hardly pondered. It's really little more than a casual "hi," or "howdy." And then we get to the important stuff.
REFRESH - October 26, 2009
These fall breezes coming in the evening and morning...they brush my face, and I'm refreshed. It's life-giving. Yet I...
CHRISTOCENTRIC - October 23, 2009
Christian. It's not by accident that we are known by the word, "Christian." We are centered on the person of Jesus, the   Christ.  Yet...
ALONE - October 22, 2009
Have you ever felt frustrated or disillusioned? What worked like a charm yesterday, just isn't working today? Been there?
JUST AS - October 21, 2009
Much of Christian discipleship, or being a Christ-follower, is in the nature of a simile. It often uses the word, "AS."
SCRAPPER - October 20, 2009
My sinful nature leads me to jump into any potential argument. The least disagreement with you and I'll pounce on it to correct you. I'm a scrapper, by nature.
JUDGE - October 19, 2009
"You're so judgmental!" We live in a world that speaks against judgmentalism, yet I think we're still a pretty judgmental bunch.
WAKE UP - October 16, 2009
Sometimes we get so immersed in our daily grind that we miss what's going on, or struggle to connect what we're doing with our faith in Christ.  And do this...
TURN AROUND - October 15, 2009
I've had the privilege of knowing some corporate execs who were known as...
DEBTOR WE BE - October 14, 2009
You're always in debt, and always will be. If you are a Christ-follower, it's true.  Let no debt...
THE MAN - October 13, 2009
First, I beg your pardon for the sexism in this title, but...
NOT WHAT, BUT HOW - October 12, 2009
We spend a great deal of concern, energy, and passion on what we do. Be...
LIVING HERE - October 12, 2009
"The gospel does well in the real world," says my teacher, Earl Palmer. Meaning the message of Christ...
JOB DESCRIPTION - October 8, 2009
In the work place, often people work with particular job descriptions. This is true as disciples of Christ within the church, the Body of Christ, as well.  We have different...
GOD'S WILL - October 7, 2009
Frequently I hear people asking how to discover God's will. It's not like peering into a crystal ball. Do not...
TRUE WORSHIP - October 6, 2009
Why are you a Christian? Is it pragmatics? Meaning, it makes your life better? Or...
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN - October 5, 2009
I am a student of history. There is great value in learning from those who preceded us. I've been into...
HUMILITY - October 2, 2009
We are a people taught to be self-sufficient, to fix our problems, to "get 'er done." We are so self-sufficient that we risk losing a healthy perspective on our God.  Who has known...
TWO-SIDED COIN - October 1, 2009
The common expression goes, "like two sides of a coin." The yin and yang, the push and the pull. Opposing polarities. Reality often comes to us in pairs. Consider therefore...
GRACE & RESPONSIBILITY - September 30, 2009
No doubt the Letter to the Romans holds it high place of authority and influence due to its great breadth and depth teaching; its definition of the Christian faith. Romans tackles issues...
TWEET CHRIST - September 29, 2009
The Apostle Paul knew nothing of Twitter, but he was always tweeting Jesus Christ, even though he did not know it by such a term.  Consequently, ...
EPISTEMOLOGY - September 28, 2009
The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer taught me the word: epistemology. In short, how do you know what you know?  But what...
BUT - September 25, 2009
On some occasions in our world today, we live in a gracious and low expectation culture. This is especially true of a person's relationship with God.  Brothers and sisters...
BERRIES - September 24, 2009
The other day my grandson sat in his high chair as his grandmother fed him the red raspberries that he feasted upon. He ate 'em all! He did it without a thought. He simply enjoyed...
TWO THINGS - September 23, 2009
Lord, have mercy, I enjoyed the movie about a guy who wanted to play football at a university in South Bend, Indiana, "Rudy." When the hero, Rudy, visited the priest ...
CONNECTED - September 22, 2009
Ever feel like you're not much of a Christian? "Surely, if I'm a Christian, it would feel different than this....
ADOPTION IDENTITY - September 21, 2009
Remember, as Christ-followers, we are adopted into the family of God. We are children of God.  If God...
ALL THINGS - September 18, 2009
How can cancer be good? Abandonment good? Hatred? A co-ed's murder on the eve of her wedding? This is good?  As we know...
GROAN - September 17, 2009
Have you ever been so confused, so stuck in your relationship with God, you didn't know what to say, how to say it? Oh, you had ...
ADOPTED - September 16, 2009
With shame I say, the way I lived when I was in my fraternity house was not the way I lived when I was at home.  The Spirit you received...
MIND SET - September 15, 2009
When I was a boy, about this time of year, the Sear's "Wishbook" came to our house. With that catalogue in hand, I spent hours compiling my Christmas Wish List--my mind was set upon all the gifts my family was surely going to give me in just a few months.
RESCUE ME - September 11, 2009
Fontella Bass had a hit forty years ago: "Rescue me...and I'm blue I need you."  The cry...
FRUIT - September 9, 2009
Being in Christ, changes just about everything. Paul tries to teach us so.
SLAVES - September 8, 2009
Bob Dylan sang, "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."  Don't you know...
LICENSE TO SIN - September 7, 2009
What shall we say, then? Shall we do on sinning so that grace may increase?" (Romans 6:1).  In the same way...
UN-EDEN - September 4, 2009
The Garden of Eden is the symbol of life at its best, perfection. Yet the biblical reality is that Eden experienced the first corruption, and was tainted. Adam wrecked it.
PRIOR - September 3, 2009
"Prior"--it makes all the difference in the world and in our lives. Yet many of us think of the Christian faith as "post."  But God...
ON ACCOUNT - September 2, 2009
Paul's Letter to the Romans actually is sort of a treatise on theological bookkeeping.  Yet he did not...
PAYCHECK RELIGION - September 1, 2009
Due to a lifetime of reinforcement, many of us think our religious beliefs conform to the way the rest of our lives function. Do a deed, get paid accordingly.  Abraham believed...
BUT NOW - August 31, 2009
In our lives occasionally we come to a fork in the road, and end up going in an entirely new direction, one that changes everything.  This righteousness is...
RELATIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS - August 28, 2009
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ only is good news, only makes sense, in light of...
HEART JEW - August 27, 2009
"Jew." When I ponder that word it brings to mind ...
PRESUMPTION - August 26, 2009
When the Apostle Paul writes his masterpiece Letter to the Romans...
ENJOY LIFE, ENJOY GOD, BUT... - August 25, 2009
My goal for Enjoy Life, Enjoy God is to give its readers, most of you Christ-followers, a word from our God to be an uplift, an encouragement, or a loving and substantive boot in the seat. But ...
THE FAITH - August 24, 2009
"Keep the faith, baby!" went the chant of the 1960s. "What faith?" I answer. Is it faith that you can't see a vampire's reflection in a mirror? Is it faith that this is the year the Cubs...
TO SEE YOU - August 21, 2009
Incarnation--it's such a central word in our Christian faith. "In the flesh"--Our e-world: email, Twitter, Skype, Facebook, Internet-really it's great! But no substitute for seeing one another face to face.
JESUS - August 20, 2009
Turning to the Letter to the Romans, it's obvious in just a moment, it's all about Jesus.  Through him we received...
ZELOPHEHAD - August 19, 2009
Is it a coincidence that I write about marriage on my wedding anniversary? Romance, falling in love is the primary means that people discover the person they will marry these days in the "West."  Moses gave this order...
CITY OF REFUGE - August 18, 2009
When something terrible happens, with malice or by accident, it is good to have a place where cooler minds can take over, and everyone can catch their breath, and clear their minds.  Six of the towns...
BAD NEWS - GOOD NEWS - August 17, 2009
I've got some bad news for us, and some good news.  Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps....
PROMISE - August 14, 2009
The book of Numbers closes with a series of instructions on daily living, how to live in community. Even something so simple was what does it mean to make a promise, to take a vow.  Moses said...
CLEAN SLATE - August 13, 2009
Above reproach. It means that there are no charges that can be brought against you. You have a clean slate.  At this the administrators and satraps...
OFFERING - August 12, 2009
Christians are called to be Christ-centered. Yet in a world of self-fulfillment, that can be a tough commitment to honor.  In this way...
WRITING ON THE WALL - August 11, 2009
"Writing on the wall"--the expression is one of pending doom, or something ominous ahead.  Suddenly the fingers...
LAY YOUR HAND - August 10, 2009
We use the expression, "pat on the back," "Let's give 'em a hand," "helping hand"--the role of touch, literally and symbolically goes unnoticed.  So the Lord said...
WHO'S GOD - August 7, 2009
In the great football and growing up movie, "Rudy," he consults with a priest, who tells Rudy: "God is god, and I'm not." The priest is not the only one who needs to grapple with this truth.  The decision is...
SAVIOR & LORD - August 6, 2009
When people come to faith it is common to hear, "Jesus is my savior." Hallelujah. Yet it's a "package deal."  "If you...
Sweet Nothings - August 5, 2009
To whisper sweet nothings is to speak loving bits to one we love. Sweet nothings are telling another things they want and are eager to hear.  "Well, I have come...
LOOKING AT A STICK - August 3, 2009
The faith of Christ is sometimes at risk of turning into a magic act, a trite ritual, or a mechanical superstition. When we pray for a parking place, or that our Little League team will crush the enemy--beware. But there's more important situations than these.  The Lord said to...
PERILS OF LEADERSHIP - July 31, 2009
Many of us aspire to leadership. Yet a caution. You can "get it" both ways.  But the Lord says to Moses and Aaron...  
HYSSOP - July 30, 2009
Hyssop is an woody plant from which an herb was used for various purposes. A branch of it was used in the liturgy of the people of God.  Then Eleazar...    
PLEASING AROMA - July 29, 2009
I love the smell of basil stirred into a saute just finishing a dish I cooked. Or I top off a mushroom risotto with parmigiano reggiano and butter, and pour it out onto a hot platter. That is a heavenly whiff.  This will be...
HOPE GIVER - July 28, 2009
Skeptics, cynics, doomsayers abound, today, and yesterday. Sometimes with good reason they easily capture our attention. But genuine realists, are one thing, but harbingers of doom...not much use.  These men...
INVENTORY - July 27, 2009
We all know about the glass half-full or half-empty. And every now and then, we stop to take inventory and see how things are shaping up. Now, they gave Moses...
D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T - July 24, 2009
Aretha crunched the rock/soul classic, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Rodney Dangerfield made a comedy career with his trademark, "I get no respect." And it becomes a problem for Moses...and others.  Now Miriam and Aaron...
A HUMAN LESSON - July 23, 2009
I like chocolate-iced cake donuts. Two of them and a cup of coffee. But that's not all I have to eat, if it were, well...
"I" - July 22, 2009
Christians need beware of "I." To be a Christian is to be Christ-centered. However, "I" seems all so common.  "HE" must become...  
TRUMPET - July 21, 2009
I lived in a little town with a community siren. It spoke of a fire in the community, of tornadoes coming, that it was noon, and bedtime curfew. It was a siren of warning, and community.  The Lord said to Moses...
GPS - July 20, 2009
One of the functions of a GPS, a global positioning system, is to guide us on our journey. In Christ, could it be that we have a different GPS?  On day the of the tabernacle...
PEOPLE TITHE - July 17, 2009
Numbers records the ordering of the tribes of Israel. Yeah...it can be a bit...how do I put it? Dry! Yet even in this organization of the people of God we see a design, maybe even a future.  After that...
DEM BONES - July 16, 2009
"Dry Bones"--the old spiritual--"dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones...the toe bone connected to the foot bone." It was a song about the Word of God in Ezekiel 37. Then he said to me...
NO SACRIFICES - July 15, 2009
We religious people are in the habit of ritual, religious acts, as if God is in need of our ritual, our religious observances. When Moses...
HEARTS OF FLESH - July 14, 2009
"Heart" is an important biblical word. Usually it has nothing to do with the pump for our blood; almost always it's the symbol of who we are as human beings. Heart=the person.  For I will...
BLESSING - July 13, 2009
We say, "I've been blessed," or, "What a blessing!" but what are we saying?
GOOD SHEPHERD - July 10, 2009
My son's two Australian shepherds are with us for a week. Whoa! Smart dogs. Trained to gather, protect, keep together, move toward a goal.
TURN AND LIVE - July 9, 2009
"Flash Flood! Bridge out, road closed." Yet the person went around the barrier in the storm and was washed down the torrent of flood waters.
ORGANIZATIONAL OBEDIENCE - July 8, 2009
Parents know what it's like to get the outward forms of obedience, yet still perceive their child's heart really does not get it; they have yet to obey in their heart and mind.    
YOU - July 7, 2009
We are such a "doing" people. No surprise when we find ourselves as the center of attention, thinking that we are responsible for everything, even our happiness and joy.
FEARING THE DAY TO COME - July 6, 2009
Sometimes we awaken to the day with dread. On the docket is some foreboding task, or confrontation.    
CASUAL WORSHIP - July 3, 2009
Oh, how the world has changed, and in many ways for the better. My parents still get dressed up to fly on the airlines. "Casual Friday" in the workplace has become casual months. We're so casual, we're casual about God, casual about worship. Churches advertise, "casual worship services."    
BENEDICTION - July 1, 2009
"Benediction": bene=good, diction=saying. A good saying. But it's so much more....
LEADER JOY - June 30, 2009
Somehow Moses became the leader of the people of God--skills, call, ambition, God's will. But in doing so, he got the people of God. They wanted a leader, yes. But from then on, they found fault, and ...were a pain in the neck!
SACRIFICE - June 29, 2009
One understanding of sacrifice is the giving up of something, like a fatted calf. While the sacrifice we speak of is related to this, a losing of something, that's not the focus here.
BIOGRAPHY - June 26, 2009
Reading good biography is a great discipline, and a substantive encouragement. I've spoken of biography many times.
PURITY - June 25, 2009
When is the last time you used the word "purity?" Of what were you speaking? Bottled water, gold? Were you talking about your life, the way you live?
HOSPITALITY - June 24, 2009
Sorry, and I don't intend to pick on Martha Stewart, but entertaining, table setting, having your house look like a magazine cover may have nothing to do with hospitality. And I suspect much that passes for table settings in such magazine covers is more about pretense than hospitality.
WORSHIP - June 23, 2009
Knowing God leads to worship.
A BETTER WORD - June 22, 2009
I'm convinced that today is not all that different than yesterday, and yesterday two thousand years ago, at least in certain respects. The joys and sorrows of today are much the same as yesterday, and tomorrow for that matter.
ESAU - June 19, 2009
Genesis 27 tells the story of Jacob and Esau, an ugly one at that. Cheating deception, neither fellow is one to take home to introduce to mom and dad. Esau sells his inheritance rights for a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese.
TOO LATE - June 18, 2009
"Any time now, Lord, would be fine. I'm coming up against the deadline, please help, Jesus, or it's going to be too late."
LIFE LESSONS - June 17, 2009
When times are tough it is natural, and common to ask, "Why is God punishing me?" In general I urge us to approach our tough times differently.
WAVERING - June 16, 2009
It's a common theme of the Bible, and discipleship, even Mother Teresa wrote of it: Wavering in the faith when God disappears.
WHAT TO DO WITH FAITH? - June 15, 2009
The last several days, we've spoken of faith, and a host of inspiring witnesses of faith. So what?
PRAYER - June 12, 2009
How to pray seems to be a chronic issue for God's people. Even Jesus' followers ask him, "Lord, teach us to pray.
HALL OF FAME - June 11, 2009
Halls of Fame color our landscape: baseball, football, college alums, there's a hall of fame, I believe, for ice cream dippers at Baskin-Robbins.
FEAR NO KING - June 10, 2009
Fear usually is a learned behavior. We grant fear, we cede power, to the object feared. My house dog, our collie, is not afraid when I shake my fist at her. She trusts me, she knows I've never hit her, and trusts me that I never will.
SALT - June 9, 2009
I love pepperoni. I love lots of pepperoni. Sometimes I get double pepperoni on our Friday night pizza. Then I awaken desiccated about three in the morning, desperately thirsty for water.
NOT QUITE HOME - June 8, 2009
Where we are today may be great, meaningful, comfortable, but the truth is, it's still not quite home. Not all is well, even if all is pretty good.
FROM A DISTANCE - June 5, 2009
We continue our pondering "faith." Just what is it, and how does it lift our lives today?
FAITH - June 4, 2009
Faith is a much-used word. "You have to have faith," we hear often said. But faith in what?
AH...THE MATTER OF SIN - June 3, 2009
Yes, we sin, and go on sinning, in Christ. How can that be? How should that be?
SPURS - June 2, 2009
I'm not a horseman, but I'm a little familiar with spurs. Riders often wear spurs to guide the horse, to control the horse.
RITUAL vs WILL - June 1, 2009
When my children were young, I remember saying, "I don't want your apologies, I want your obedience." What I meant was sometimes when they'd apologize they were merely going through the motions, "I'm sorry, daddy." I was less concerned about their words than I was their spirits.
BLOOD - May 29, 2009
We don't speak much about blood these days. The only times we mention it is when we call for a bandage, or the Blood Center asks for a donation. We're squeamish, I think, to dabble much in blood talk.
OFFERING - May 28, 2009
In Israel, the priests made various offerings in behalf of the people to seek God's favor, and to ask God's forgiveness for the people's sins.
NEW COVENANT - May 27, 2009
God made a promise with the Israelites, a covenant. They agreed. However they were not good covenant-keepers.
MELCHIZEDEK - May 26, 2009
A priest is a go-between. In other words, priests go-between parties separated to keep them in contact, in communication with one another.
HOPE ANCHOR - May 25, 2009
A few years ago a couple of my minister-buddies and I rented a houseboat for a couple days, and we sailed on a nearby lake. It was great!
GROW UP --2 - May 22, 2009
The goal of Christian discipleship is not so much about our spiritual well-being or personal fulfillment, but serving Christ, and personal maturity, completeness.
GROW UP - May 21, 2009
One of the central themes of being a Christian, of discipleship, is maturity, our faith, our person growing to Christ-likeness, not just getting older.
TOUGH TIME LEARNING - May 20, 2009
When are we the best students, when are we the most teachable?
SING & SHOUT - May 19, 2009
I don't know much about European soccer or "football," but during one of those great matches, I do love to hear the thousands of fans shouting, singing song after song for their heroes: Real Madrid, Arsenal, whomever.
CONFIDENCE - May 18, 2009
A young child is confident of their parent's care and love. Sadly on occasion that confidence is crushed by the parent's failures. Yet in their nature, a child trusts the parent's care and love will be there.
REST AND WORD - May 15, 2009
Sometimes our favorite passages in the Bible surprise us because what they are talking about gets disconnected from the context. For example, the often-used "Love is patient, love is kind" passage from 1 Corinthians 13 is not talking about love and marriage, but love within the church, and how to get along. Here's another example.
DAILY - May 14, 2009
Do you suffer from ADD or ADHD, or short attention span? Beware.
CHRIST-IAN - May 13, 2009
People who believe Jesus is their Savior and Lord, and believe him to be the son of God, have been known by a number of names: those of the Way, Nazarenes, and surely, Christian.
A PRIEST - May 12, 2009
A priest is a go-between, one who intercedes between two different parties, in this case, between we humans and God.
GIMME - May 11, 2009
In The Rules of Golf during match play competition, if your opponent concedes your putt, you must accept your opponent's generosity, or something to that effect. It's a gimme.
BUT - May 8, 2009
We humans often are searching for God, longing for God to say a word, to interrupt the tedium. But...
IMITATORS - May 7, 2009
Imitations are not the real thing, we even call them fake. However...
HOSPITALITY - May 6, 2009
One of the terms that mark our relationship with fellow believers in Christ is hospitality. Even amongst strangers, yet Christians.
SOUL CARE - May 5, 2009
C.S. Lewis said, "We humans do not have souls; we are souls." It's not an organ, or a body part, but our being. Yet we often continue to live part by part.
THE PRESENT OF PRESENCE - May 4, 2009
Do you remember, not all that long ago, when the telephone companies urged us to reach out and touch somebody? Just call someone long distance was their point, if I recall.
DRAW CLOSELY - May 2, 2009
Why is it that something called, "Christianity," and something called "Christian" comes back repeatedly to someone called "Christ?"  
TRUTH - LOVE - April 30, 2009
Sometimes we use truth like a hammer. Sometimes we turn love into a syrupy whim, a vapid sentiment. They go hand in hand, however.    
BEING IN - April 29, 2009
People are seeking God. We hear much talk of a soul-hunger, a spiritual longing. To be sure, many people choose many different paths to attempt to assuage that hunger. But...
PRAY FOR THEM - April 28, 2009
It's a good thing to pray for one another. It's part of community to pray for healing, for people struggling with troublesome times. Yet other aspects of prayer, we sometimes overlook.    
CONFIDENCE IN GOD - April 27, 2009
John's letter speaks with few grey areas. So when he brings up the topic of confidence, he goes for jugular.
LOVE A FEELING? - April 23, 2009
Of course it's a feeling! Anyone who's ever loved knows this obvious truth. But there's more.
A GUTSY PRAYER - April 22, 2009
Ever examine the substance of your prayers? Prayer for help in circumstances--health, job, family, relationships, etc. Nothing wrong with these. However...
SEEING GOD - April 21, 2009
Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus in blinding light on a road in Syria. Moses encounters God in a burning bush and is warned not to look on God's presence.
DUALISM? - April 20, 2009
Good cop, bad cop, up and down, light and darkness, good god and bad god, good versus evil. Ancient philosophy and religion speak of dualism, or often equal but opposite forces.   
ALMOST SLIPPED - April 17, 2009
 I assume if you are reading this today, as you've probably read it sometimes in the past, that you have made some sort of commitment to be a Christ-follower, a Christian, a disciple. That assumed, then...    
LOVE DEFINED - April 16, 2009
"What's love got to do with it?" lamented Tina Turner. "What's love but a second hand emotion?" Tina was right on, at least in part. But there's more to it, love, that is.
CLEAN UP OUR ACT - April 15, 2009
 Forgiveness is a central joy of the good news of faith in Christ. Still there is a call, like Jesus told the woman in John 8, "Go and sin no more."
CHRIST-CENTERED - April 14, 2009
In an increasingly tolerant, diverse culture, it is required that "You do god your way, I'll do god my way." Even Christians are buying it.
IN/OF - April 13, 2009
God made a wonderful world in which to dwell. Yet in that same world can be blessing and curse.    
I WRITE TO YOU - April 10, 2009
Letters, emails, even twitter--it comes to us for a purpose. When John wrote his letter he had a purpose, and it includes you and me.
IN/AS - April 9, 2009
To be a Christian is to be forgiven, yes! Yet forgiveness inspires us to changed lives.
LIGHT WALKING - April 8, 2009
Luke Skywalker. Aside from the fictional character in the Star Wars series, and that was his father's name, I do not know what sky-walking means. But...
JOY ACCOMPLISHED - April 7, 2009
Holy Week comes to fulfillment in the triumph of resurrection--no greater joy! Yet how to get there?
THE END - April 6, 2009
Having read the Book of Ecclesiastes, what is one to do with the Preacher's oft-spoken words, everything is meaningless, life is little more than "a chasing after the wind?"
GRACE AND GRACIOUS - April 3, 2009
One of the joys of the gospel is the grace given us through faith in Christ. Yet with grace received also comes, perhaps, an equal an opposite reaction, or responsibility.
A NAME - April 2, 2009
When Dorothy comes to Oz, and word is made of the Wizard, the music turns reverent, and all the citizens speak with awe, and an almost divine presence causes the people to bow down, just at the mention of a name!    
CRAZY WORLD - April 1, 2009
Ecclesiastes points out to us the absurdity of much of the world, and the way we get caught up in our lives. The cycle of life is work, toil, prosper--times are good, then times are bad, and it goes on and on. Wicked flourish, righteous get kicked in the teeth. Crazy!  
WHEN GOD DISAPPEARS - March 31, 2009
The great affirmations of faith in the face of adversity and trying times summon us to renewed courage, and triumphant hope: "Praise be the the Lord my Rock...he is my stronghold." But what about times when those cries seemingly go unanswered?
FEAR GOD - March 30, 2009
To fear God--not a common topic these days, and I'm not sure how well-received the thought would be by Christians, let alone, non-believers.
WOODY ALLEN - March 27, 2009
I like his movies, overall, he's thoughtful. Actually, Woody has some in common with Ecclesiastes.
WORDS - March 26, 2009
We speak words casually in our world this day. We swim in an ocean of words. Words come to our ears in a flood, and out of our mouth almost like exhaling.
HOLD ON - March 25, 2009
When times are good, we seldom ask, "What am I going to do?" Yet when times are tough, we caught in a fix, we look inside and mutter, "What am I gonna do?"
THE BYRDS - March 24, 2009
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Yes, it was Roger McGuinn (David Crosby for a while) and The Byrds who took the Pete Seeger song and made it a hit. But the folk singer, Seeger, must have been reading his Bible; he took it from Ecclesiastes 3.
CHASING THE WIND - March 23, 2009
Is it wisdom? Is it pleasure? Is it toil? Maybe it doesn't matter
A CYNIC SPEAKS - March 20, 2009
To be jaded, cynical, critical and undercutting everything...it's become the modern way. But what is the role of cynicism in the Christ-follower's life?
THE END? - March 19, 2009
At the end of the movie or a book, a story, we see the words, of think the words, "The End." But sometimes it's not, it's not the end.
INCARNATIONAL PEACE - March 18, 2009
People are always looking for some kind of peace. Interesting is that one of the promises of the good news of Jesus Christ is peace.
HEARTBURN - March 17, 2009
Acid reflux? No. A stirring in the gut, a deepening passion, a compelling motivation? Yes. That's heartburn.
THEY REMEMBERED HIS WORDS - March 16, 2009
As I reread the gospel story, it occurs to me the significance of the word, "remember," and how many times remembrance is part of the story.  
REMEMBER ME - March 12, 2009
Please don't call Child & Protective Services, but many years ago, we forgot one of our kids at a store. But we did finally remember.
THE CROSS CARRIER - March 11, 2009
How did you come to run into Jesus? Your parents take you to church? Heard about him just by living in a largely Christian country? It was what everyone was doing?
BARABBAS--WHERE THE ACTION IS - March 10, 2009
I bet we think we're not followers. But how many of our decisions are based on what's trendy, where people are flocking to, where the action is?
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" - March 9, 2009
But I'm convinced we can!  "You can't handle the truth."  The great line from "A Few Good Men," the courtroom drama where Tom Cruise, prosecutor, grills Jack Nicholson, the defendant.  And the defendant fights back with this classic protest.
ROOSTER'S CROW - March 6, 2009
"Cock-adoodle-do." Kind of a funny sounding word, but in a disciple's mind, a bit haunting.  
REPITITION - March 5, 2009
When my mom wanted to catch my attention, she'd repeat herself. "Listen, Listen to me." That meant I better obey her. Repetition.  
INCARNATION INDEED! - March 4, 2009
Christians sometimes hear the word, "incarnation," in the flesh. That Jesus is Immanuel, God in the flesh. How true, how so.  
JEREMIAH'S GRIPE - March 3, 2009
As Jeremiah bears his message: a call to repentance and a call to faith, he finally gets his belly full and cries out to God; he gripes. He doesn't understand how people faithful to God have it so hard, and the wicked prosper. He grumbles that faithfulness doesn't seem very popular, yet the unfaithful get all the breaks.  
ALL - March 2, 2009
"I gave it 110%." "She gave everything she had." "He left nothing in the bag."