Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. -John 15:8 There’s what I do, then there’s what I am. Continue Reading
March 17, 2015
Slaughtering Hope
One should rather die than be betrayed. There is no deceit in death. It delivers exactly what it promised. Betrayal, though — betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope. – Playright Steven Deitz Continue Reading
March 12, 2015
Love Thy Jerk
“We don’t devote enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.” - Bill Watterson Continue Reading
November 25, 2014
Surveying the Damage
I’m somewhat OK with admitting my sin. It's clearly not my favorite thing to do, but I will if I have to. Examining its impact is another matter. Continue Reading
November 19, 2014
The Walking Wounded
“Without your wound where would your power be? The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In love’s service only the wounded soldiers can serve.” -Thornton Wilder Now I see why I always cry at the end of Our Town. Thornton Wilder had a grasp on language and the human soul which leaves me flabbergasted. And he’s bringing up something in this quote I’ve thought over for years, and have reluctantly come to believe: my best qualities spring Continue Reading
October 29, 2014
Amazing Grays
Our local paper ran a feature story awhile back, written by a self-identified evangelical Christian and titled “There is Something in the Air. Can You Feel It? Grace.” Great start. Nothing turns me on like a consideration of God’s grace because, after all, where would I be without it? But then it all went downhill, as the article celebrated the growing acceptance of same sex marriage, even among believers, as evidence of a “great grace awakening.” She went so far as to call it a Third Great Awakening which is “broader” than traditional Continue Reading
September 26, 2014
Right Position, Wrong Attitude
“The children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left.” - Elijah, downcast and afraid, from I Kings 19:10 I'm struck by how easily we can swing between two critical errors: doctrinal sloppiness and self-righteousness. Continue Reading
July 30, 2014
The Greater Condemnation
My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. - James 3:1 James didn’t write a very nice book. In fact, apart from Proverbs, I think his epistle’s the biggest “kick in the butt” you’ll find in all of scripture. He gets right to the point: Don’t whine when life’s hard, give yourself no excuses for sin, abhor double-mindedness, shut up and listen, keep your cool, don’t get greedy, don’t kid yourself. And that’s just Chapter One. So whenever I read James, instead of saying “Amen”, I feel like Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
You Want Her to Trust You Again?
The married man who uses porn, commits adultery, or gives himself to other kinds of unclean behavior breaks trust. He’s in a covenanted relationship with a woman he pledged himself to, probably with the best of intentions, but somewhere along the way he’s given himself permission to indulge. Sometimes there are problems in the marriage his wife is largely responsible for, and she’ll need to ‘fess up to that if things are to improve, but that can never excuse his sin. Other times (and I find this true more often than not) it’s a pretty good Continue Reading
June 10, 2014
Building Trust
If you’re a married man who’s messed up by committing sexual sin, and your wife is both aware of and recovering from your actions, then one of your primary goals is to rebuild trust. You’re repentant, and you want her to know it. You’re ready to do what’s necessary to repair the damage done to you, her and the marriage, and you want her confidence again. Great. Continue Reading
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