Conquering Your Slides
There’s not many indoor playgrounds in the greater Sandpoint metropolitan area (population 7,000). So, last week we loaded up our horse and buggy and made the 90 minute trek to the Spokane Valley Mall so our son, Judah (19 months) could play on one. Actually, I needed shoes and after looking at the two places here in Sandpoint we decided to go to a mall with a better selection–the playground was an added perk!
When Does God Nap? (Hope for the man whose faith is weak)
Mark 9:14-29 tells the story of a boy with an evil spirit. His father brings him before Jesus, hoping that there may be deliverance from this awful affliction which has been torturing his son so long. Jesus tells the man, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mark 9:23b, NIV) His response is a very human one: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (verse 24b) I identify with the flawed faith of this desperate man. There are a thousand reasons (rational and irrational) why I believe; still, I sometimes wonder if everything I believe is, in fact, the …
His Hair Grew Back Again
Tonight while I was telling the kids the story of Samson before bed my mind came to rest on this verse, “22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” I didn’t know exactly what the verse said but the thought occurred to me that there must have been some amount of time that passed between when Samson was captured by the Philistines and when he gave his live to destroy the house he was shackled in. I wondered what that time was like. We read in Judges 16 that when Samson was …
the pit family
In the midst of all the stuff we have or the stuff we are trying to accumulate, it is good to be reminded of a condition we all suffer from. All of us were born into the pit family. No not Brad Pitt. The Bible tells us that we were conceived and born into sin … … and sin’s pit is part of our nature. Psalm 51:5 & Romans 8:4 As I grew into my teens, 20′s, 30′s, and early 40′s … I dug my pit deeper and deeper. It seemed to be hopeless with no way out. Then I …
now is the year, today is the day
Many people have started all kinds of New Year promises to themselves. Changing exercise, diet, and spending habits seem to top most lists. I remember the start of the 1995 New Year. I had the usual goals. I wanted to stay healthy … make more money … take a better vacation, win more basketball games … perhaps land a college coaching job, and to buy more fun stuff for me and my hobbies. Then in May of 1995 GOD convicted and softened my heart and then re-arranged my search for significance. Since then life has not been the same. My …
broken at Christmas
After helping serve breakfast, I sat down with 4 men this morning at a homeless shelter in St. Charles, Illinois. I simply asked this question: “Hey guys, I am starting my 5th year as the Chaplain for the Chicago RUSH football team, and I’m looking for stories of how God has changed your life … anyone care to speak up ?” One man got up immediately and walked away. One man kept his head down and remained indifferent as he ate his oatmeal in silence. But the other two men jumped all over this opportunity. This one 40 year old …
are you in
Yesterday I sat in a room with a man from Mexico, a woman from Romania, a woman from the Ukraine, a man from from Thailand, a woman from Korea, and another woman from Laos. For the next 15 weeks together we are studying a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Christ followers in Rome. All of us in that Moody Bible Grad School class, including more than 20 Americans from all over the nation, have one thing in common. We were all born in sin. And our sin would separate us from God for all eternity. However, at …
an intentional action plan
Since April 9th I have made a change in my attitude towards eating and exercise. Through a stubborn refusal to move to a size 40 inch waist, I decided to shed some weight. Intentionally, I cut out bread and sugar for 90 days and kept pace with a regular exercise agenda. The results ? I’ve lost 35 pounds ! This past week I came to the realization that my spiritual life needs some immediate attention. My prayer life had dwindled. My complaining spirit had increased. My attitude toward people had become less than forgiving. And, most important, I was more …
slow leak
My vehicle is equipped with a computer sensor which lights up a small gage on my instrument panel when one of my 4 tires are low on air. That particular light came on a couple of days ago … so I got out and looked carefully at all four tires. They looked fine to me. I certainly could not see a low tire or any cause for alarm. The next day I inspected them again and again found normal looking tires. When I took my SUV in for an oil,filter,and lube service I asked the mechanic to check the pressure …
A Battle of Wills
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NAS) Do you respond to God’s direction, even when you don’t understand what’s going on? Part of the strength God gives you to “do all things through him” is the ability to choose to do his will, even before you know the full implications of what that means. He will begin to change your “wanter,” developing within you more and more of a ‘want’ to do his will. But this is where we often stall in our steps toward being more like Jesus. We get into a battle …
