Pastoral remarks from the biblical standpoint of PEACE to help us navigate the storm. This past weekend in Mountain's series called FULL OF IT we…
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We have lived in the 20th and 21st centuries, and pretty much everyone agrees, we are living in difficult, troubled times. There is plenty of…
MoreYou have likely heard about the resignation of Bill Hybels as Lead Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. There are allegations of inappropriate…
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Hi friends, "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." That quote by Frederick Buechner helps me imagine Jesus introducing…
MoreWhile our country is divided in many ways, after Vegas we find ourselves united in common shock and sadness. God’s people are uniting all over…
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Today is a major Christian holiday that most of us know nothing about. It’s called the Feast of the Epiphany. You maybe recognize that word…
MoreYou know that sensation you get when you’re out and about right after Thanksgiving, and you realize the music you hear playing is Christmas music?…
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Many Puerto Ricans have fled their home island because of its sinking economy and nasty crime rate. Almost half a million of them have come…
MoreWhen it comes to New Year’s Resolutions there are several approaches. There are the out-of-touch-with-reality optimists who make hugely confident statements about what they really…
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When chaos broke out in the streets after Freddie Gray last March, it shined a light on ugly problems in our world, in our city…
MoreTwo lists. List one: Hate. Anger. Violence. Fear. Distrust. Disgust. Harshness. Ignorance. Retaliation. List two: Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self-control. Each…
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In previous posts I talk about various aspects of the film (which you can access here and here and here) . Now I want to…
MoreIn my first post on Fifty Shades of Grey I talked about several reasons why a lot of people hate this film. In my second post…
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In my first post on the hugely popular book and film I mentioned a bunch of reasons why a lot of people hate this movie. But…
MoreWhen a friend asked that question today, I didn’t know quite what to say. Not because I don’t have some thoughts about the crazy popular…
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I visited London and all I got was all amped up about the church Come up the stairs and out onto the street from London’s…
MoreSome people seem to think play needs some super special occasion to justify it. It doesn’t. Celebration is something that can certainly come because something…
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The words “play” and “important” don’t seem like they go together. But I think they do. Playing is important. I know that sounds funny coming…
MoreA super highlight of 2013 was when my daughter Ellie and I visited her sponsored child. Her name is Evelyn, she lives in Ecuador, and…
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Nelson Mandela has died. He was 95. This is a man who stood up to say that the law of the land was just plain…
More“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I love Thanksgiving. I cherish our traditions: the…
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Moses was a big-time Bible guy, used by God for big-time things. Based on what his mother did to him when he was a baby,…
MoreI’ve written a few songs. You’ve never heard them on the radio. But I sang them for Karla a couple times. They were my attempts…
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Seven or eight years ago I stumbled into a circle of friends that God has used to change my life. At a pastor’s conference we…
MoreBefore the verdict for the George Zimmerman trial was announced, we all knew that regardless of the outcome, many people would be upset. Angry. Hurt.…
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Many in Turkana believe there is a God, but that he got bored and left. Now they wonder if they are left to fend for…
MoreIn the corner of the screen on my iPhone is a tiny indicator telling me what percentage of battery life remains. Last night as I…
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So what do you get someone who is graduating from High School? Hmmm, something they need, something they want, but would probably never ask for.…
MoreAs a kid, I barely took notice when the rich baritone voice of George Beverly Shea boomed through my Grandparents’ living room. But that’s where…
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How Jackie Robinson Saved My Life Guest Blogger: Vince Antonucci I grew up in a verbally abusive home. My father’s violent tirades were like heart-seeking…
MoreWell congrats, Ravensites. A hard fought win. A great year. A storybook finish for Ray Lewis. A real team effort. And only a little defensive…
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I was in Orlando last week for some meetings with Christian Standard magazine. I serve as a contributing editor and we gather there to plan, propose,…
MoreA beleaguered general called his troops together and announced, “We have good news and bad news. The bad news is, we are completely surrounded. The…
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Okay folks, if you’re one of those who is freaked out about a cataclysmic cosmos-ending event tomorrow, let me offer a not-very-pastor-like reality check. Despite…
MoreAt bedtime last night, I flopped down and snuggled up with my daughter on her bed. We talked about the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. She…
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My heart is sick. The children and adults who were killed this morning in Connecticut are victims in the worst school shooting in American history.…
MoreIn the message from December 1-2, I tried to remind us that God has a habit of choosing and working through people we might typically…
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Recently Karla and I were with some friends and someone asked, “What are your Thanksgiving traditions?” Great question. The most important thing we do is…
MoreThe coolest people I know have gratitude in them. My mom is like that. You see it in the way she treats the paper boy…
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About half the people in America are yelling “Four More Years!” - and the other half are just yelling. Some are pumping their fists in…
MoreAbout 2 o’clock on the afternoon on the eve of All Saints Day 1517, a young monk hammered a stack of papers to the north…
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