What’s up with #YOLO?
Go! Do whatever you want to do because you only have one life to live. #YOLO This proposition seems compelling. For it’s hard to disagree with the fact that you only live once. I mean, passages from Romans and Ephesians make it pretty clear that we were once dead, […]
An Emergency Of The Spirit
In March 2011, a devastating tsunami struck Japan, taking nearly 16,000 lives as it obliterated towns and villages along the coast. Writer and poet Gretel Erlich visited Japan to witness and document the destruction. When she felt inadequate to report what she was seeing, she wrote a poem about it. In a PBS NewsHour interview she said, “My old friend William Stafford, a poet now gone, said, ‘A poem is an emergency of the spirit.’”
the road more traveled
Ever heard of “swarm intelligence”? Ant colonies use it to establish the quickest paths between food and their nests. Scout ants leave a trail of pheromones (a chemical substance) as they make their way to edibles. More ants follow, causing the scent on the trails to become even stronger. Over time, the best routes become more popular and scented, while the less-efficient paths steadily decrease in both the number of ants traversing them and the pheromones left behind. “Swarm intelligence” allows ant colonies to consistently find the best paths to the nourishment they need.
A powerful way for parents to share their faith with their children
Mom and Dad, do you realize God’s given you a personal mission field? It’s those people living under your roof! Our series on evangelism continues.
When we Love Man more than God
Have you ever wondered what will happen when not even a single person cares enough to seek after God’s heart? What will happen when everyone on the face of this earth stops putting in effort into loving one another with the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13? What […]
Repeat Warnings
Caution, the moving walkway is ending. Caution, the moving walkway is ending.” If you’ve ever used an automated walkway at an airport, you’ve heard this kind of announcement repeatedly.
Disconnected, Part I
Today’s generation of teens still want to know that adults believe in them, so they can believe in themselves. In this thought-provoking and engaging presentation three prominent youth leaders and a psychiatrist offer insights to help you build strong, authentic relationships, based on affirmation, encouragement, compassion, and guidance. A must-see …
tears in heaven
One of my favorite songs is the 1993 Grammy award-winning Tears in Heaven. It’s an intimate song that Eric Clapton wrote to help him heal from the loss and pain of the accidental death of his 4-year-old son. Rooted in tragedy and grief, Eric expresses the hope of seeing his son again. He wrote of a place beyond this world, a place beyond tears—heaven. This song has touched me deeply. Like Clapton, we face painful, heartbreaking moments in life—times that make us long for the day when we’ll cry no more.
Medieval Meal
A while ago I attended a conference on the Middle Ages. In one seminar we actually prepared several foods that would have been common in medieval times. We used pestle and mortar to grind cinnamon and fruit to make jam. We cut orange rinds and broiled them with honey and ginger to produce a sweet snack. We crushed almonds with water and other ingredients to create almond milk. And, finally, we prepared a whole chicken to serve as a main dish with rice. As we sampled these dishes, we enjoyed a tasty culinary experience.
for everyone
The very first time one of the apostles stood up and publicly addressed a crowd about the good news of Jesus, he wanted to make it crystal-clear that what he was proclaiming was for everyone.
Rooted
Joash must have been confused and frightened when he was told about the evil deeds of his grandmother Athaliah. She had murdered his brothers to usurp the power of the throne in Judah. But baby Joash had been safely hidden away by his aunt and uncle for 6 years (2 Chron. 22:10-12). As he grew, he enjoyed the love and instruction of his caregivers. When Joash was only 7 years old, he was secretly crowned king and his grandmother was overthrown (23:12-15).
Our Daily Bread Calendar
Get a copy of the 2015 Our Daily Bread calendar.
Pastor's Breakfast
Come join us for our Pastor's breakfast!
Movie Review: The Maze Runner
The title of this movie effectively captures what it is all about. Though a pretty simple storyline—a group of boys trying to get out of a maze—there’s enough thrills and spills, tension, excitement and drama interspersed throughout the entire show that will leave you glued to the […]
gift of submission
I once wrote a book based on a collection of letters that François Fénelon (a French pastor from the 17th century) wrote to a younger friend who was serving in the morally corrupt court of King Louis XIV. Fénelon’s fatherly posture and his call for unflinching devotion to God captured me. Words like this are standard Fénelon fare: “Becoming a follower of God is hard because it requires that we submit ourselves fully to a God who is other than us. We must let go of our insistence that we know best what we need. We must let go of…
