ENOUGH – Thoughts on John 6:29

“Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” ‭‭John‬ ‭6:29‬ No singular work has any value in God’s eyes outside of believing in the singular life of Christ. If Jesus’ sinless life and death were enough to satisfy the Father’s unrelenting demand of personal holiness as a …

A New Nickname Written Down in Glory

This is a repost from April 10, 2018. One night after midweek services at church a few years back, my then 12 year old came downstairs visibly upset. I asked him what was wrong and he said he knew we need to read the Bible as Christians, but it’s such a big book and always feels …

Christ in the Psalms – thoughts on Psalm 56 and John 1

“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:13‬ “In him was life, and that life is the light of men.” John 1:4 Walk before God in Christ. Although his clothing and armor hang loose on a younger sibling, our …

A Down Payment on Salvation – Thoughts on Ephesians 1:13-14

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of …

Who aren’t I?

I had an interesting conversation with a dear friend at church who is a special needs teacher at a local high school. One of her specialties is teaching Art and she had mentioned a method of helping students who have difficulty in learning how to draw. She first asks a student to draw an inanimate …

If you and I had lunch…

I don't do this as much as I'd like to, but sitting down with someone over lunch to ask them questions from their experience and unique perspective is a healthy exercise in personal growth. In my youthful ignorance, I used to only meet with leaders to ask these questions, but have since learned that we …

Faith vs. a Desire for Power

'For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”' Acts 8:23 Simon the sorcerer, who was well known for his magic, had come to faith in Christ and wanted the same miraculous powers the apostles displayed. Peter called him out for his hidden agenda. Some things can't be seen just by …

Every Word Costs

My wife and I started dating in April 1996 and were married two Independence Days later. As a young man, I was plagued by passivity which led to a couple of breakups while dating. I remember the two of us sitting in a Village Inn restaurant one night with a couple of friends and we …

Do you know that I love you?

One of my sons crawled in my bed tonight after being told multiple times to get in his own bed. I normally have to be firm on this because he does it a lot. It doesn’t upset me, really. I love that he likes to be close to his mom and dad. He’s still at …

Something is Missing

Writing has become labor. I don’t remember it ever being like this. I have no thoughts worth capturing and the ones which have merit can’t be said just yet. Each day has enough melancholy to cloak the light of innovation like an overcast Cleveland afternoon. This year has challenged or completely taken so much away …