"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
"God, you can do anything you want with me. Just please make me famous."[1] This was the prayer of a gifted young actor, struggling to find the role that would launch his career into the stratosphere of Hollywood celebrity. Matthew Perry eventually landed the role of Chandler in the soon-to-be insanely popular sitcom, Friends. His … Continue reading Wealth and Fame Will Never Satisfy
Up to this point in Ecclesiastes, the Preacher has been dispensing general observations about how the world works. But now, he turns to look us directly in the eyes and admonishes us with specific applications for how to live wisely in the world and what duty God requires of his people in worship. It’s as … Continue reading Listen Up and Look Up
In early October, our neighborhood participated in National Night Out, which is, according to their website, “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.”[1] At the block party, complete with a taco bar (say less!), sidewalk chalk and bubble machine for the … Continue reading Living for We and Not Me
Have you ever hiked up a mountain, or even a wooded hill? If so, chances are your view was limited until you passed the tree line. A hike in the woods offers many lovely views, but once you’re above the trees you can see for miles and miles. When we lived in Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods), … Continue reading Be Holy and Happy
Baking cookies with children can be fun. It’s guaranteed to be messy, but it’s always sweet in the end. A couple of weeks ago I was going to have a houseful of children on a day when it was too hot to play outdoors. What better than to bake some chocolate chip cookies with them … Continue reading Pray as a Child
In Colossians, as in many of his letters, Paul begins by laying a doctrinal foundation of what God has done for us in Christ, before exhorting his readers to then live according to that marvelous truth. In the first two chapters, Paul has unfolded for us the sovereign supremacy of Christ, and the magnificent mystery … Continue reading Citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom
In our passage this week, the nature of the pressures faced by the Colossian church are brought to light at last with Paul’s pastoral concern for them and his condemnation of the practices and the practitioners of the false teachings that threatened to undermine the believers’ faith in the all-sufficiency of their salvation in Christ. … Continue reading Christ Plus Nothing
Last week we considered how Paul could rejoice in suffering, and how we also, because of the riches of the glory of Christ in us, can face our trials with joy. This week we considered how our mutual loving encouragement, a deeper understanding of our Savior, and the actual practice of living out our faith … Continue reading The Triumph of Christ
It’s been a hard couple of weeks. The domain of darkness is sharply apparent. A young woman was murdered on a train in North Carolina and nobody moved to intercede or help her as she died. The initial response was silence. In Utah, a well-known young man was assassinated in front of a crowd of … Continue reading A Prayer We All Need
