“Why should anyone listen to you? What authority do you have?” The questions hung over me and I had no answer, so I just sat there in silence. John Zimmerman, my preaching professor, sat across […]
Tag: Obedience
Psalm 81
A rendering of Psalm 81, which emphasizes listening which leads to obedience and wonders what would be different if God’s people actually listened and obeyed. We’d finally be satisfied.
The lie behind my “yeah, but” spirituality
What attitude do I bring to the Scriptures when I read them? Is there an attentiveness to what is written? Is there an expectation to hear from God? Is there a readiness to obey? Obedience […]
The self-offering of worship & the importance of giving our money away
In an effort to communicate to visitors that they aren’t trying to get their money, many churches have given up the practice of taking an offering during Sunday worship. I get the intention behind the […]
Let it be
When Paul McCartney wrote The Beatles’ song “Let It Be,” he may have been thinking of his own mother Mary who died when he was 14 and not the the mother of Jesus, but he […]
False piety & the sign of the virgin
The Christmas story is one of our favorite and best. There’s no shortage to the ways it speaks to us of our great need and God’s great love. But among all of its beautiful themes, […]
What are you pursuing?
If there is a motto for America, it is simply this: Pursue happiness. It’s sometimes rephrased as “follow your heart” or “follow your dreams,” but the idea is the same. Meaning and direction for life […]
From Bible reading to Bible living
Followers of Jesus have always had a sense that our Bible reading ought to lead to a change in the way we live our lives. We are followers, after all, and following has action at […]
Is my God really just my dog?
I love my dog. Ebony comes when I call her. She goes to her bed when I tell her to. She’s always excited to see me. She does tricks when I offer her a treat […]