Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Romans 5:1 We are justified by faith; Jesus did the work. What a beautiful reminder that we can rest in knowing our salvation is already worked out for us. In this ever changing world we can have peace with God, not by our own doing, but because Jesus did. Today is Labor Day. It is… Continue reading Justified
Sunday night gathering August 16, 2020 For the last several weeks a small group of friends have met in a church parking lot to dig deeper into what God might be saying to to Church during the Covid-19 pandemic. This week we began a more systematic look at Scripture, pairing Romans and Hebrews. Several people… Continue reading Seeking Purpose
Romans 1:11-12 When I started this blog I planned to use it as a place start thinking out loud about a book I want to write. My concept was a book for church people on the need for grace toward parents of prodigals. Too often I have experienced judgement from my brothers and sisters in… Continue reading Mutually encouraged
Psalm 119:169-176 Psalm 119:175 This final section is a synthesis of what has gone on before. In it we read about what God does, what we do, what we desire, and how God responds to us. The whole of Psalm 119 is this: Let my soul live and praise You, and let your rules help… Continue reading TAW
Psalm 119:161-168 Psalm 119:164 We are a people of checklists and boxes, aren't we? There's nothing like the feeling of striking through some task on paper. Even phone app lists give us that glorious feeling of accomplishment when we finish something. So, does the checklist life include our praise? I mean, the psalmist says "seven… Continue reading SIN and SHIN
Psalm 119:153-160 Psalm 119:153-160 Life is from the Lord. I wrote that in bright pink in my journal. Nothing I do or think or say gives me life. No matter what the circumstances may be, my life is secure in Him. There will be difficulties, challenges, and sorrow upon sorrow during my sojourn on earth,… Continue reading RESH
Psalm 119:145-152 Psalm 119:145-152 Pandemic life keeps getting harder. What should be open? Do we send kids to school? Is this nagging cough allergies or Coronavirus? How long is this going to go on? It's hard enough it the daytime with incessant news and social media panic posting, but at least during the day there… Continue reading Qoph
Psalm 119:137-144 Psalm 119:141 The Grand Canyon is misnamed. Grand is an understatement. It's impossible to describe it adequately, especially since it's impossible to see all at once. You might capture the width of it from and airplane, but the depth is missing. You might view the breadth from one side to the other, but… Continue reading Tsadhe
Psalm 119:129-136 Psalm 119:136 I love the map app on my phone. I like knowing immediately how to get from point A to B and about how long it will take me to get there. But sometimes I think we need to look at old school paper maps. I'm not quite old enough to remember… Continue reading PE
Psalm 119: 121-128 What if 2020 is the year that God begins to judge whether or not we as believers truly long for His appearing? There is no question that the Church has been complicit (either by commission or omission) in some of the evils that pervade our culture. Perhaps not in this generation, but… Continue reading AYIN
Defaulting to Grace 