C.S. Lewis on the Interstellar and Redemption

I'm reading The Business of Heaven by CS Lewis and read an excerpt called Life on Other Planets. Below I have adapted his thoughts in modernized American English. "If there are other rational species other than life on earth, are they fallen and sinful like us? This is a point easily forgotten. Some think that...

One Mark of New Birth in Christ

There are certain evidences of the validity of a Christian's faith but none more obvious than a heart, once was cold and self-serving, now beats warm with tenderness. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a...

A River Ran Through It

My wife and kids and I were visiting her parents in Grand Junction Colorado a couple years ago and took a short drive together to a place called Rifle Falls during our visit. The view of the mountains was breathtaking and I couldn't stop commenting on it the entire way. I had asked her dad...

10 Things to Remember the First Year of Your New Job

Starting a new job is exciting! You get a blank slate, new friends, challenges that hopefully fit your experience, among many other perks that come with the new digs.  The time of year is high time for people taking new jobs so I thought of a few things that will hopefully be of some use...

5 Ways for the Underrated to Grow in Influence

Among the things floating around in the top drawer of my dresser, various bins in the basement storage, on a top shelf on my bookcase or in the glove compartment, there are a few items I treasure more than most. The list of things I treasure has changed through the years. When I was 5...

Leading from the Comment Section

Either you missed the casting call or didn't make the cut. You saw yourself on the stage dropping diamonds and picking up roses but somehow you're not on it. You are, however, subjected to listen to someone else read the same lines you rehearsed and delivered with conviction. What do you do when your life...

6 Tips on Discovering Your Writing Voice

I've never been a big U2 fan, but I admit that they are likely the greatest rock band of my generation.  Whether you're a fan or not you can't deny the impact they have had on music and culture.  Bono is more than just a front man to many.  His message has authority from his...

Be FEELED with The Spirit

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” - Ephesians‬ ‭5:18‬ Many well meaning Christians ask God for a filling of the Spirit when what they really want is a feeling of the Spirit. There are many different reasons people desire a filling: evidence of God...

Two Critical Things Influencers Do

Abe Lincoln knew a lot about a lot of things, but something he knew exceptionally well was how to influence people. This post touches on two things that Lincoln did that put him in the hall of fame of leaders and they are simple enough that anyone who's willing to pay attention can do. The...

6 Words That Can Change Everything

I got this message today from a friend of my sons. He's 14 and his life was changed by Jesus this summer at church camp. What 14 year old does that?! I'm at the gym fighting back tears writing this post. This is a natural outcome when someone really meets Jesus. I met Jesus at...

Help me see me.

In 2010, my family and I were in north central Ohio where I was pastoring a small church. We didn't have a copy machine so I was going to Office Depot weekly to have the bulletins printed for our Sunday services. I was in the van with my daughter, who at that time was around...

Faith, Love, Hope: Thoughts on Ephesians‬ ‭1:15-19‬‬‬

“This is why, since I heard about your FAITH in the Lord Jesus and your LOVE for all the saints, [Faith can’t be trusted until it is evidenced by Love for others.] I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus...

Romans 5:1-5, Holman Slang

Now by faith God sees us just-as-if-we’d-never-sinned, and we have peace with God through Christ. We have access to the deeper fellowship with Him by the Holy Spirit and the hope of experiencing His full glory. Our current flirtation with the hope of God’s presence helps us to glory in weakness and tribulation because we...

Love is Labor

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by FAITH, your labor prompted by LOVE, and your endurance inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:3‬, NIV The work produced by faith is hard proof that can be seen and evaluated. The labor produced by love is a constant state...

Table Scraps – Mark‬ ‭7:24-30‬, Holman Slang

"When Jesus left for Tyre he tried to go into a house unnoticed but his popularity made it impossible to go anywhere without pomp. In fact, one of the locals who had a little ninò overcome by a demon collapsed at his feet in desperation. She was of the Syrian Greek folk and begged Jesus...

Wisdom from a Fool’s Distance – Job‬ ‭20:18-21‬, Holman Slang

“He will try to choke down and bring to full enjoyment what he labored for but it will come straight back up because he oppressed the poor folk and took a neighbors house by violence. His greedy over-desires stirred up his soul’s quiet and every delight worth saving vanished into thin air. All has been...

Spiritual Great Grandchildren – Thoughts on Acts 18

Paul wanted to leave the area because of the resistance and unbelief of the Jews (Acts 18) but the Lord showed up in a dream and asked him to stay for a year even though the Jews would no longer be his main audience. Towards the end of that time an eloquent man, mighty in...

John Maxwell’s Thoughts on Leading People Without Building Relationships

"If you're a high achiever who has neglected relationships in your leadership, you may be saying to yourself, "I haven't needed to develop relationships to be a good leader..." Here is my answer to that: as long as you're winning, people are willing to follow even if you are hard on them. However, when you...

Respectful Shouting

“Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my...

Tolkien on the Gaze of God

"And with that word she held them with her eyes, and in silence looked searchingly at each of them in turn. None save Legolas and Aragorn could long endure her glance. Sam quickly blushed and hung his head. At length the Lady Galadriel released them from her eyes, and she smiled. 'Do not let your...