Every October 31st my dear friend, Pastor Rob Acker, and I heartily greet each other in a special way. Only we won’t say “trick or treat,” but “Happy Reformation Day!” You see on a Halloween almost 500 years ago, long before any child ever knocked on a door for candy, Martin Luther knocked on a … Continue reading No Tricks, Just Treat

Do you remember the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)? It is a very profound story in many ways. First, it is a sign of Jesus' divine nature - only God can bring a dead man back to life. Second, it shows the compassion of Jesus - before He raised Lazarus, … Continue reading Doing the Possible as God Does the Impossible

Jesus gave us some great gems of teaching in His Sermon on the Mount. One of these well known nuggets is what we know as the Golden Rule. It goes like this: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. … Continue reading Remembering the Golden Rule

Something very powerful and unusual happened this morning in my Personal Worship Time with the Lord. As I prayed through a Psalm in the Morning Office (“The Divine Hours” by Phyllis Tickle), I started to weep … uncontrollably. Now to those of you who know me well, I am not resistant to weeping. When I … Continue reading Prayer of Tears

One of the values we hold dear in Whole Life Worship is the transformation. We believe that Christ not only came to bring us eternal life, but abundant life, as well. This abundant life occurs as we are changed or transformed by the power of Christ through His Spirit who dwells within us. The theological … Continue reading Sanctification or Sanitization?

I had a nice conversation with my mom and my sister, Janet, today. We talked quite a bit about spiritual discernment. I’ve greatly enjoyed Ruth Haley Barton’s new book, “Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups.” Although it is a book about group discernment, the processes shared are very good for personal … Continue reading Good Ideas are not necessarily God’s Ideas

As parents, and now grandparents, Letty and I have had the honor of teaching our kids how to pray. The best times of prayer come at night as we thank God for the day and ask for His protection over us as we sleep. Every now and then the kids get a little flippant or … Continue reading Remember Who You Are Talking With

One of the ways I am praying during my Personal Worship Time is the Lord’s Prayer. But I’m praying it in a particular way that makes it a rich time: I pray one phrase and then I pause. During that pause I reflect on what I just said and what it means to me. It … Continue reading Pausing in the Lord’s Prayer

I mentioned recently that “humility is the best way to live our lives.” In writing that, I want to make something perfectly clear: humility is NOT modesty. I think people get the two confused, as if they are one and the same. But they’re not. Far from it. I think it was Dallas Willard (author … Continue reading The Secret Pride of Modesty

I had just finished doing my elliptical workout in record time (don’t ask me how slow it was!) As I lay on the ab bench, staring at the gym rafters, I was laboring to find my wind again! How thankful I was for God’s gift of air!! It was then I had one of those … Continue reading Exercising Eternal Life Now