When the Young and the Restless Leave Church

Young People Quitting Church

My son had some disturbing news to share the other day. He attended an event where several of his old friends who had graduated from his youth group showed up. When he asked how they were doing, too many of them explained that, since moving on from the high school ministry, they’d left the faith for various reasons. Of course, others still had their relationship with God intact, but he was understandably sad. I’m understandably disturbed. And the worst of it is, the ranks of older adolescents shifting from church to unbelief seem to be Continue Reading

Priceless

Zemanta Related Posts Thumbnail

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife — -1Peter 3:7 I’m sure I know my wife better than anyone else could know her, which I get no props for. We’re 27 years married, after all, so if my working knowledge of the woman didn’t surpass anyone else’s, it would be a mighty indictment against me. So ask me practically anything about her and I can fill you in, though I won’t, but I could. I know her fully, not completely, but pretty thoroughly. And I am trying to honor her, daily, with Continue Reading

Thinking it Through

Problem Solve on textured background

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. – Philippians 4:8 We’re largely where we are today because of the decisions we’ve made. Not completely, I know, because plenty of things happen to us that are beyond our control. But so much in life – the state of our relationships, for example, or our spiritual Continue Reading

James Foley, ISIS and Wrath

man artistic blur

“For the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.” - James 1:20 You’ve seen the photo by now, maybe even the video: an American journalist kneeling seconds before his utterly senseless, depraved execution. James Foley’s murder is just the latest link in a chain of outrages committed by this monstrosity called ISIS, a group representing Islamic extremism at its worst and man at his most depraved. Swift and strategic action is called for. So is disgust, heartbreak and prayers for the Foleys, and righteous anger generating whatever Continue Reading

You’re Grounded!

lemon tree

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:17-19 There’s a large flowerpot in my backyard, perched a few yards from my lemon tree, both of which have been there for decades. Both are part of the yard, certainly,  but one of them is portable, while the other, deeply Continue Reading

What the Wounded Wife Has to Say

Wounded Wife

If I knew falling in love would hurt this much I would have rather fallen into a ditch, and maybe I would be healed by now. -Evans Macharia           When a man sexually betrays his wife, his ability to understand her pain is equal to his ability to understand what pregnancy and delivery feel like. Continue Reading

Armed

Armed

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin. – I Peter 4:1 Continue Reading

Keeping it Real

The Odd Couple

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many part." -Poem by Shakespeare Believe it or not, that tow-headed 17 year old is me playing Oscar Madison in a 1971 production of The Odd Couple at Wilson High School of Long Beach, California. Continue Reading

Something Weird Under My T-Shirt

This is not the same as Right-Guard Deodorant - But You Probably Knew That

We're so often clueless about what's really going on with the people we know. Continue Reading

Eternally Secure, Perpetually Striving

Zemanta Related Posts Thumbnail

One of Christianity’s longest running arguments has to do with the believer’s security. If one has been born again, can he ever lose his salvation? If so, how? And, once lost, can it ever be retrieved? I’m not entirely settled on the issue myself. Some of my favorite scriptures bolster the “once saved, always saved” position. “No man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hands” (John 10:29) for example, and “There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”(Romans 8:1) Ditto for “He is able to save to the Continue Reading