Rather than go with the flow, I tend to push, calculate, ponder, and ask lots of questions. I tend to innovate and improvise. If an impediment can’t be streamlined, I want to know why. 

Paul was about thirty when he became a follower of Jesus Christ. He was forty-three or four when he began his ministry and he was murdered for his faith nineteen years later. This means that Paul spent about thirty percent of his ministry life locked up in jail.

I utter, mutter, or implore “why” more than any other word in my vocabulary. 

It would be petty of God to cast you aside over a small sin—something piddly, like losing your temper and stewing with frustration when the pasta boils over. But what about a larger sin, or a big sin? 

Snake heads raised from the coils, cocked to strike. Tongues flicked and rattles buzzed, “Don’t tread on me!”

Marketing—selling, convincing, etc.—is often shied away from in Christian circles. We feel like it is less than spiritual. But the reality is, the Scriptures exhort us to be marketers.

Your relationship with God is as secure as Jesus’ relationship is with God. 

The approach of “buy this, right now” is pressured and fearful. It leaves little room for interaction and negotiation. 

One word. Translated into three. Carrying the combined weight, genius, and remarkable life of Jesus Christ.  

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He declared to us a completed action. He referenced an event that was consummated, concluded, and now exists in a finished state. 

What is the “it” Christ references, and how finished is “finished?”  

In terms of desiring something different for yourself, it is irrational to hope and believe this will occur while not fundamentally altering your life’s trajectory.

But then life bore down upon me, my world, my theology, and my God. As the labor of life stiffened, I suffered what is called a crisis of belief.

The choice was ours to make: life or death. 

There is a fundamental difference between information taught and knowledge gained.

Far be it from me to buck the system, especially with a new governor who has other things to worry over than whether or not I'm taking a break as provided and ordered.

While it is hard to get to know some folks, such is not the case with Jesus. He invites us into His heart, asks us to share His life, and promises never to leave us and always to join us. 

While all of the above is true of Jesus, it is only biographical information about Him. The question was, “Do you know Jesus Christ?”

I read his blogs. In fact, I heard Pres speak at our church, and even had dinner with him while he was in town. I read his first novel last summer and have his second book nearly finished.

Thinking all this through and keeping your wits about you while in the midst of the storm is tricky business. If your doctrine—or your God—are inadequate, your position is likely in danger of being overrun.