Fear Changes Your Focus (Luke 12:4)
By Shawn Lazar Early in my Christian life, when I was about eighteen, I had the chance to become a youth pastor. But I said no. Over the next several years, in different churches, and in different contexts, I was called to enter fulltime pastoral ministry. In each case, I refused. Why? In part, […]
In You Forever — John 14:16-17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). […]
Talking About Santa to Christian Kids
I was recently talking to an eight-year-old who worried that if I didn’t turn off my gas fireplace, Santa would not be able to come down and give us presents. I told him we turn it off at night. I had to bite my tongue, though. Not everyone will agree with this, but my wife […]
Catholic Celibacy
The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recently concluded a study confirming widespread sexual abuse of children in Roman Catholic institutions. Here are some blood boiling quotes: “Of the survivors who reported being abused in a religious institution, 61.4% said it occurred in a Catholic organization.” “In February 2017, the commission […]
If You Love Me — John 14:15
What’s does Christian spirituality look like, in a nutshell? Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15 NKJV ). Each of those words gives us an important insight. “If.” Wait, “If”? Shouldn’t He have said “When”? “When you love Me”? Isn’t loving Jesus inevitable? Many churches teach it is. They say every […]
Flock or Herd
Who are you following? One of the great indictments in the Old Testament is this: In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 KJV). They did what was right in their own eyes. They followed themselves. They did what they wanted, […]
Is Eternal Security Essential to Saving Faith? — The Arminian Question
Do Arminians believe the saving message? Someone asked that question in light of their denial of the doctrine of eternal security. Actually, some Arminians even say that eternal security is positively evil (see here)! What is the saving message? It is Jesus’ promise of eternal life. And this is the promise that He has promised […]
The Fear of Missing Out
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). The exodus generation. They had so much potential. So much promise. So much God wanted to give them in the land He had prepared for them. Instead, […]
The Minority Report — Numbers 13:27-33
Israel was at the edge of Canaan, the promised land. Egyptian slavery was behind them. Freedom was before them. All they had to do was walk in. But they hesitated. God commanded them to go in. He promised them victory and protection. But Israel wanted to see things for themselves. They wanted a contingency plan. […]
An Unleavened Life
I love bread. The smell. The taste. The whole process of mixing and kneading and rising and baking. Maybe it’s due to growing up in a French city, but I can’t think of a more perfect pairing than warm bread and butter. Can you? Mmm. I love sourdough, too. It’s one of the most ancient […]