Maybe the first requirement for having vision is to open our eyes.  When we open our eyes to the hurting, we may be inspired with a comforting vision. When we open our eyes to those who are being oppressed by others, we may arrive at a vision that sets the captives free. When we open […]

The faith of Abraham, also called the Hebrew faith, was a mother that gave birth to three daughters: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Hebrew faith as described in the OT is like a big table with plenty of room for many believers. The God of the Bible delights in seeing His people from different faiths […]

Most of us are able to speak, and all of us have a voice.  If we want to be wise, we should speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. We should use our voice, our vote, our abilities to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to look around […]

I once heard a speaker who counseled his listeners to quit spending so much energy on figuring out if something was right or wrong, and simply inquire, “Is this the wise thing to do?” Who, in their right minds, would want to do the foolish thing?  Apparently, many people. There are proverbs that warn of […]

Graduation and graduation talks are not usually packed with humble words. Instead, graduates hear about how they have arrived, they did it, they are smart, how far they’ve come, and that the future is in their hands.  Sometimes this can cause feelings of pride and superiority to all those somewhere behind them in the academic […]

The great commission to go and make disciples of all nations and Jesus’ declaration that, when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be my witnesses, have often felt like a call to share information. There is important information to share, but if we look back at our first week and the definition expanded, […]

It may seem almost natural to love our own team. It’s no big challenge to be devoted to the people who are on our side, our party, our school, our church, our neighborhood.  But the call of Christ is to bless the opposition. This means not restricting our love to those we define as loveable, […]

We believe there is only one God, and that God has defined himself as love. So, are we open to recognizing that “love” is a revelation of God in all world faiths, not just Christianity? John seems unequivocal that “whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him,” and that if anyone says […]

Taking a look at 1 Corinthians 13 and Jesus’ “greatest commandment” will enable some enlarging of the definition into how we practice love and how to recognize counterfeit love, especially in ourselves. How does love behave, and what are some clear signs that, regardless of loving words, the actions and behaviors can’t be love because […]

Resurrection and resulting resurrection life are both done by the Spirit for us and not by us.  The night before the crucifixion, Jesus prepares his followers for his death and for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t tell the disciples and us how to form resurrection life in ourselves, but simply tells us […]