Category Archives: Blog

We really do some ridiculous stuff sometimes, don’t we? For example, Francis Chan uses an easy analogy that points something that is pretty simple that we all do that really is unquestionably stupid. Imagine you have a teenage daughter, and you tell that daughter to clean her room. If she comes to you an hourContinue reading “It Isn’t That Complicated”

In many, maybe even most, ways, Jesus grew up in a pretty typical way. The Bible says that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52, ESV) Sounds pretty normal to me. The only story we have between his birth story and the beginning of his ministryContinue reading “Herculean Poverty”

I like having answers. I have spent a large portion of my life seeking them; in high school, where I often came up with answers I didn’t want to spend time finding; in college and grad school, where I spent a lot of money getting answers; and in independent study, where I can study andContinue reading “Shakespeare, Aliens and AlGore”

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8 We didn’t talk much about justice growing up; at least not in the way I often hear it talked about now.Continue reading “Scary Justice”

We look around at the world and see a lot of things. We see beauty and many wonders, and praise the Creator God. We see mysteries and stand in awe at the Omnipotent God for whom all things are possible. We see the intricacy and order of our lives, our world and our universe andContinue reading “Evil and Hope”

So I’m back! The last couple of months have been some of the craziest and most intense I have ever experienced. My wife Charmaine and I spent over two weeks in Thailand, meeting with refugees and pastors, learning more about the Karen people and about international missions work with our friend Joanna, a missionary thatContinue reading “HOPEless”

As you are probably aware, we are preparing to go to Thailand very soon (11 days from today – see the above Thailand Trip Info tab). One of the most intimidating aspects of this trip for me personally is a request that has been made that I teach a 5 hour seminar on living forContinue reading “Suffering and Serving”

A news item caught my attention yesterday. In an effort to compete in the “sleaziest TV network” competition, NBC has announced it will begin airing a show this fall based on Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Clubs from the 60’s. The news item that caught my attention was out of Salt Lake City; the NBC affiliate thereContinue reading “Dirt and Coffee”

I still vividly remember the reactions people had to 9/11. People were shocked, horrified, angry, and scared. They were looking for anyone who could make some sense of what was going on; Rudy Giuliani stepped forward and showed both grace and resolve as leader of New York City. George W. Bush brought encouragement, comfort, andContinue reading “Big Tent”

I view the Christian life like a race. Not like a simple foot race, more like a car race (I’m driving an Audi R8). And it isn’t like some Nascar race: “Where do I go to get to the finish?” “Left…left…left…left…” I picture it like a chase scene in a movie. We’re flying down theContinue reading “Driven, pt 2 – Nascar and a guy named Geoffry”