I began 2019 serving my church in ways I never expected. In this article, I'll explain how serving my church moved my ecclesiology from theory to practice. Turning 55 I turned 55 yesterday. I've now reached that milestone age when I can receive discounts at some fast food restaurants and other places. To ask "How did I get here?" would be a rhetorical question, of course. I … [Read more...]
Crosswalking: How Lawn Mowing Helped Gabriel Understand the Gospel
While on the University of Iowa campus, Gabriel approached me and said, "I'll stop and talk." The Lord would use the Lawn Mowing Analogy to impact Gabriel's thinking. New Semester at the University of Iowa Evangelist Ray Comfort has often said, regarding evangelism, "I leave the house dragging my feet, but I come home clicking my heels." Anyone regularly engaged in public or … [Read more...]
Enoch the Prophet and the Patience of the Wrath-Filled God
This article was inspired (for lack of a better word), by a recent sermon that was preached by my pastor--Mike Reid. In the sermon, he touched upon the prophetic nature of the name Enoch gave his son, Methuselah. I learned something that was new to me, but not actually new (it has always been in the Bible). My eyes open wider to the perfect tapestry of God's progressive … [Read more...]
Crosswalking: Two Wonderful Conversations at the University of Iowa
This was my last day of ministry at the University of Iowa, for the 2018 school year. The Lord blessed me with two wonderful conversations. Ministry at the University of Iowa My second year of ministry at the University of Iowa has drawn to a close. It has been another fruitful and blessed school year. The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, which is 50 miles west … [Read more...]
Providence, Nosebleeds, and Applying Band-Aids to Mortal Wounds
Today I saw God's providence at work as I used an analogy involving nosebleeds to illustrate an important theological point. Providence: Defined The 1689 London Baptist Confession Chapter 5 defines providence in the following way: 1. God the good Creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from … [Read more...]
Word Study: “Life” in the Gospel of John
The word "life" appears 47 times in the ESV translation of the Gospel of John. "Life" is translated from three primary Greek words--"Zoe," "Psuche," and "Bios." One appears in the Gospel of John more than any other. One appears only a few times. And one doesn't appear at all. The Reason for This Study I recently returned home from my second trip to Kenya. God has graciously … [Read more...]
Wisdom from Above: How to Recognize it in Your Life
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). This verse was the foundation for a letter of encouragement I recently wrote to a young man. What follows is not a verbatim reproduction of the letter I wrote to the young man. Rather, it is an expansion of the thoughts I … [Read more...]