4th week of Advent The Wise Men traveled perhaps a thousand miles to worship a king they knew only from prophetic writings. What stimulates this kind of worship? What does it mean to worship? The word comes from an Old English term meaning “worth-ship” – that is, assigning worth to something. In modern English, it refers […]
Christmas Magi
3rd week of Advent What do you know about the magi? Who were they? Where did they come from? How many of them were there? How long was their journey? Why did they care that a Hebrew king was born? What do we know about these Magi? Not much. Where did they come from? “The […]
Christmas Shepherds
2nd week of Advent Did you know that first-century shepherds were a despised group of citizens? Why would God choose these social rejects to be the first to hear of the birth of his son? First-century shepherds were considered dishonest and were often labeled thieves. They frequently led their flocks onto others’ property and stole […]
The Christmas Inn & Stable
1st week of Advent Were Mary and Joseph turned away from the only hotel in Bethlehem because it had no vacancy? Was Jesus born in a dirty stable with manure on the floor and wooden walls? Are our table-top nativity scenes accurate? Well, here’s the truth. There were no Holiday Inns in first-century Bethlehem. In […]
What Should I Do? – God’s Will
Early in my ministry, a pastoral change left me without a job. Over the next seven months, I interviewed for several positions. I was very young in my understanding of how God works in our lives. I assumed He would simply open the door to the job He wanted me to have and close all […]
The Heart of God – Missions
God gives us children to teach us lessons we might completely overlook if not for their innocent questions. One evening, I came home from work and sat in my chair reading. Brianne was on the floor in front of me, playing with some toys. A non-profit Christian organization’s TV ad came on, and I saw […]