Do we live in troubled times? Of course we do. I don't need to give you a litany of the terrible things happening in our world. You see it 24/7 on your news feed, social media, and from the people around you who are sharing and passing along more of the same. It is a …
Category: Fear
We All Need Forgiveness: An excerpt from my upcoming book, The Provocative Christian: How Gospel Focused Living Changes Everything.
On June 6, 1944, allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. One of the hardest hit units was the 116 infantry regiment of the American 29th Infantry Division. They landed on Omaha Beach in the first wave of landing craft. David Silva was a 19-year-old infantryman in the 29th Division. When the ramp dropped …
The Paparazzi, Facebook, and Our Need to be Known
I have been thinking recently about the seemingly growing mass of people who do things just to be noticed and known. The examples are so numerous that it is hard to decide which ones NOT to mention. Just think on some headlines over the last few months. Remember "Balloon Boy" and his parents scam to …
Continue reading The Paparazzi, Facebook, and Our Need to be Known
Love Your Neighbor; Or Not
In a tragic and ironic twist a modern-day Good Samaritan is left to die on the side of the road instead of being helped by the people who pass him by. The phrase "Good Samaritan" has come down to us from a story told by Jesus. In the tale an unknown man is beaten and …
I Went to Jail Last Night
There is a certain sense in which I am glad that most people I know have never been inside a jail. After all, people usually end up there because they have done something that in hind sight they really wish they had never even considered doing. It usually means someone was hurt in some way …
Should you really be afraid of God?
For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 1st Chronicles 15:25 That verse from 1st Chronicles is one of more than fifty times in the Bible when fearing God is viewed as a virtue. Yet for all that frequency it may be one of the …
Provocative Bible Verses: Don’t be Afraid
How often does God need to say, "fear not" or "don't be afraid" before we actually get the idea that as His followers we do not need to be afraid of anything? Apparently at least one more time than the hundred times He already has said it in His word. I have been struck recently …
The Provocative Christian 