There is a great deal being said in recent days about Jesus being divisive. What is a stunning turn of events is that it is not being declared by people outside the Christian faith who you would expect to have a negative view of Jesus. Instead, it is being proclaimed by people within the church …
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What Ever Happened to Civil Debate?
One of the more formative experiences in my childhood came in the 6th grade. We had a teacher who encouraged open debate and critical thinking. Several times during the school year a subject would arise in which there were multiple, strongly held, varying positions among the students. Our teacher would use those times to set …
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 …
Loving People Jesus Style is Hard Work
What do we mean when we use the word love? Better yet, what did Jesus mean?
A Fresh Look at a Familiar Story
The Good Samaritan may be the most famous of all the parables that Jesus told. It certainly ranks in the top two or three. Sometimes familiarity like that breeds indifference. We have heard something so much that we think we have gotten all we can out of it. Yet, no matter how familiar I am …
Paul, Athens, and Navigating Culture
Ancient Athens Have you ever felt like you live in a culture that you don't recognize any longer? The values you are faced with every day are nothing like what you grew up with. The practices that people carry out in their lives each day are at times shocking to you. How do you respond …
Rightful Moral Outrage or Moral Smugness?
I am working my way through a book titled Exclusion and Embrace by Yale theologian, Miroslav Volf. It is an incredibly rich and dense book written by a Croatian Christian who has had to wrestle with forgiveness of people guilty of numerous war crimes and acts of genocide against his people, following the breakup of …
When May a Christian Defy the Government?
In light of recent events at our nation's Capitol Building and the close association of Christian banners and symbols with that event, I began to think about the whole question of when Christians may or even should defy the governing authorities over them. The fact that yesterday was the day celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King …
The First Sermon in a Four Week Series Leading to Christmas
We are taking a deep dive into the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke to get a better appreciation for the events leading up to and following the birth of Jesus. https://subspla.sh/9nm4y4k
Relax, It’s Only an Election
In the history of the United States of America we have held 58 Presidential elections prior to 2020. Just to give you some historical perspective, in 18 of those elections, the person who went on to the White House received LESS THAN 50% of the popular vote. In 47 of the 58 elections a swing …
Why I Can’t Be Color Blind
Well actually I am color blind, the physical eyesight red/green color blind kind. Before you ask, yes I see apples as red and not grey, same with firetrucks and other things that are very red. Grass is green and when I have been to Ireland I have seen more shades of green than I can …
A Year of Listening to Jesus Day 34 Mark 1:38
38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Jesus has driven the demons out of a man by the power of his word. He has healed numerous people, including Simon Peter's mother-in-law. But now he is moving on to …
Continue reading A Year of Listening to Jesus Day 34 Mark 1:38
The Provocative Christian 