I Am The Door
The front door of the house where I lived until I was about 10 or 11 was a fairly rustic barn door. Right down at the bottom between two of the long planks there was an opening. In reality, it was little more than three inches high, and perhaps half an inch wide at the…
Read MoreGround Level Bible Study (Prayer Warrior)
I was reading Philip Yancey’s book, Prayer, this weekend, and ran across an interesting phrase, belly botany. As I understand it, belly botany is when you get right down to ground level, on your belly, and carefully observe what you see in your immediate area—maybe only a 2-foot square. Look at the plant life, the…
Read MoreI Am the Good Shepherd
If you spend much time in the Old Testament, you will soon come to realize the important role sheep played in the sacrificial system. Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly the Israelites would make animal sacrifices. God told them, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to…
Read MoreBy the Numbers
Published 6-6-2020 “By the numbers” is a well-known modern idiom. Its use suggests doing things in a strict, exact, formulaic way. However, there is no literal meaning of numbers in a mathematical sense when we do things “by the numbers.” If we apply the expression more literally, we have many opportunities to study our world in terms…
Read MoreI Am the Light of the World
We’ve all had that experience. We sit in the growing darkness of evening as we are busy reading, watching television, chatting with friends. Then, unexpectedly, someone comes into the room and flips on the lights! Suddenly we realize just how dark the room had become. Even worse, horror of horrors, now we can see the…
Read MoreThe Dissatisfied Life (Prayer Warrior)
Sunday morning my pastor issued this challenge during his sermon: You know, friends, a life of dissatisfaction is a blessed life. Uh-oh! What did I say? Yes, I said it. A life of dissatisfaction is a blessed life. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:6. It says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst…
Read MoreThe Essential Service of the Church
During a recent news conference, President Trump stated, “I’m identifying houses of worship — churches, synagogues and mosques — as essential places that provide essential services.” What is the essential service of the church? Essential services have been defined throughout the coronavirus pandemic as services necessary for the continuation of society. Some of these include medical services, truck drivers,…
Read MoreThe Case for Microbe Parasites
Published 5-16-2020 Lately anyone who makes a positive case for viruses may be looked upon with suspicion. In the case of one specific coronavirus, COVID-19, that view is understandable. The novel disease is devastating and unpredictable. All viruses are considered ‘obligate’ parasites, growing only in association with their hosts, completely dependent on invading the living…
Read MorePandemic or Opportunity? Making the Most of Quarantine
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to limit travel and other activities, people grow increasingly frustrated. While such restrictions certainly challenged our daily lives, God calls us to make the most of every opportunity. How can we make the most of the COVID-19 crisis? Colossians 4:2-6 offers an insightful look at the approach God desires for…
Read MoreDragging Your Anchor
Do you have something that is keeping you firmly anchored in your past? Perhaps childhood abuse. Perhaps rape. Perhaps debilitating injury. Perhaps the loss of a child. Whatever that anchor may be, you find yourself incapable of moving past it and moving on with life. Or perhaps you are dragging some anchor that is keeping…
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