“It's time to play the music! It's time to light the lights!” If the Muppet Show theme song is stuck in your head now, you’re welcome! Christian churches are aware for the need to be welcoming, and work hard to do so by having greeters at the door, comfortable chairs, and cozy worship centers. The idea seems sound – if people enjoy their time at church, they will return. But will they?

“It's time to play the music! It's time to light the lights!” If the Muppet Show theme song is stuck in your head now, you’re welcome!  Christian churches are aware for the need to be welcoming, and work hard to do so by having greeters at the door,...

Are we enjoying the world of biblical paradoxes? Throughout this series we are discovering that context is king when we trip over seeming contradictions. Now it’s just getting fun. Today we discover the give-and-takes of generosity and stewardship – or we might learn that these two verses mean something entirely different!

Are we enjoying the world of biblical paradoxes? Throughout this series we are discovering that context is king when we trip over seeming contradictions. Now it’s just getting fun.  Today we discover the give-and-takes of generosity and stewardship – or...

It’s a conundrum – in one respect, Christians are to serve the Lord, yes, and at the end of the day, say, “Hey, no thanks needed. It’s just my job.” Yet when a believer serves, we also desire the praises of “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Which is the right perspective?

It’s a conundrum – in one respect, Christians are to serve the Lord, yes, and at the end of the day, say, “Hey, no thanks needed. It’s just my job.” Yet when a believer serves, we also desire the praises of “Well done my good and faithful servant.”...

Today’s paradox is not that hard to trip over – it’s like God isn’t even trying to hide it!  In dealing wisely with fools, we often look to the book of Proverbs for guidance and we encounter a real head-scratcher.  We are to answer a fool – and then...

Today’s paradox is not that hard to trip over – it’s like God isn’t even trying to hide it! In dealing wisely with fools, we often look to the book of Proverbs for guidance and we encounter a real head-scratcher. We are to answer a fool – and then again, we’re not supposed to – huh? Which is it?

“Peace on Earth, good will to man.” “I’ve got peace like a river.” “Let the peace of God reign.” You could name a hundred worship songs about the peace of Christ. So you get this image in your mind of a soft, guru-like Jesus running around in sandals speaking words of enlightenment. Then you trip on Matthew 10 where Jesus jarringly states, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Whoa. Help us out!

“Peace on Earth, good will to man.” “I’ve got peace like a river.”  “Let the peace of God reign.”  You could name a hundred worship songs about the peace of Christ.  So you get this image in your mind of a soft, guru-like Jesus running around in sandals...