Do you find yourself from time to time treating your sin as if it is no big deal, not as bad as some other people you know? If you do then you will fail to experience the full delight and freedom that comes from the forgiveness God offers. You will always carry around a hidden …
Author: Dan Lacich
Obama/McCain and the Biblical Response
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1 I received an email recently. In fact I received it several times from several different people. Yea, it was one of those emails that has …
Christianity in the Land of the Pharoahs
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect on my first visit to Egypt. I had been well briefed by my son J.T. (short for Justin Thomas) who has spent a lot of time here recently. But there is always something about being in a place yourself that opens new horizons and understandings. His time had …
Why Don’t We Love God More? pt3
"Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from …
Why Don’t We Love God More? pt 2
The Great Commandment is not to love the Lord your God with a LITTLE of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, but with ALL your heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is a command to love God much, very much, as much as possible. But if it is true that people, who are forgiven little, …
Why Don’t We Love God More? Part 1
It is my contention that if we really loved God in a Great Commandment way, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, then we would be living far differently from the way most Christians currently live. The strange part is that given the level of blessing and abundance that the church in the west …
Spreading the Word in the Amazon
The Presbyterian Church of Manaus is in the heart of the Amazon Basin. The church sits on the banks of the Rio Negro, the largest tributary to the Amazon in Brazil. For more than 20 years the people of the church have had a growing ministry to villages up and down the rivers of the …
“Stuff” and the Lost Art of Christian Contentment
George Carlin did a comedy sketch about "stuff". In essence it was a brilliant commentary on how our possessions actually possess us. Of course he did it from a decidedly American point of view. Having spent some time this morning walking around the city of Manaus in Brazil, I can tell you that "stuff" is …
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Provocative Love: Why Believing in God is NOT Enough
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe …
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Provocative Obedience: The High Cost of Loving Jesus
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15 In 1976 Pittsburgh was still a very strong blue collar, union town. My friend Howard worked at a manufacturing plant that had a very strong union. One day there was a wildcat strike. Basically that means that the union members went on strike illegally. …
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The Unanswered Prayer of Jesus
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." John 17:20, 21 As a pastor I can not count the number of times that I have had people ask me why some …
Are You a Provocative Christian?
"In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" 1 Peter 3:15 To be provocative means to provoke a response. Christians are to be provocative. Not in the sense that we provoke people to …
The Reformation of a Material Girl
Ali Eastburn was a self described "material girl". She liked her stuff. Near the top of the list of that stuff was her diamond wedding ring. Through an incredible prodding from God she came to realize that her ring was an idol. She also came to realize that most of the diamonds in the world …
A mega-church fish in a house church ocean
I am used to being different from people whom I connect with. In college I was the lone protestant getting a degree in Theology from a Roman Catholic/Charismatic university. I was one of two non-episcopalians getting a Masters degree from an Episcopal seminary. So being possibly the only mega-church staff member at a national conference …
Planning Next Years Family Vacation
Here in Florida, summer is officially over. Most kids are back in school and family vacations for 2008 are behind us. That makes it the perfect time in my mind to start planning for 2009. Why? Lets look at what you did for that vacation a few weeks or months ago. Ten years from now …
The Provocative Christian 