19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on...
Gospel Prayer Putting it in context: Paul’s purpose in writing the letter to Colosse was to refute heretical teachings that were influencing the Colossian Church. These people were called Judaizers. They were Christians who believed you should follow the law, be circumcised, obey the food regulations and...
Neighborhood is our mission especially when our neighbors are poor. Reaching our neighbor is not an option. The Bible couldn't be more clear with what our mission is on this. Several years ago I started writing about integrating missions into small groups, A Group For Me....
What has the last word in your life? As we approach October, I'm reminded of Luther posting his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, saying Scripture has the last word in our lives and this pronouncement would grow throughout the reformation. The importance...
A personal encounter with God can't take place in a cognitive vacuum, yet one of the things most people like to do least, vacuum, has become a common heuristic in their faith and belief system. One might say a heuristic apathy has been propagated. In psychology, "heuristics are...
A photo I took from over Haiti shows how even the tiniest of vessels can cast a large net into what looks to be an overwhelming ocean. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in our oceans of people and work. Our oceans don't look the...
The not so Simple Church The church is anything but simple. From the Disciples in the first century church to the birth of Protestantism in 1529 when German princes banded together, and signed a decree at the Diet of Speyer, publicly declaring their support for Luther...