A few years ago I read Peter Scazzero's The Emotionally Healthy Church.  I liked it so much I brought Scazzero to Champaign-Urbana, Ill., in the fall of 2004 to speak to 165 pastors on emotional health.  The following fall (2005) I brought Peter and Geri Scazzero to the Vineyard Church to lead a marriage retreat.NowContinue reading "Have an Emotionally Healthy Christmas!"

I read Nancy Heche's The truth comes out (Regal 2006) the week before the whole ordeal about Ted Haggard broke in the news.  Heche tells the story of her own husband who died of AIDS in 1983.  For more than two decades Don Heche had lived a double life.  Until three weeks before he diedContinue reading "The Truth Comes Out"

This is well-known evangelical writer Philip Yancey's newest book and probably the 12th or 13th book I've read by him.  It might be the most sobering.  Even so, I have ridden alongside Yancey for a long time, and I feel safe with him as he traverses the world on his theological quest.We share some similarities. Continue reading "Riding along with Philip Yancey"

Here from pastor John Piper is a clear, thoughtful explanation of what the Pope Benedict XVI said about Islam, and how to think about it as a follower of Jesus.

"The United States calls itself one nation under God, but Americans don't have all the same  image of the Almighty in mind."  Thus begins a page one piece by Cathy Lynn Grossman in today's (9/12/06) USA TODAY on a new Baylor University religion survey conducted by Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion.Most fascinating to meContinue reading "What is your view of God"

Last night I preached at the young adult service on I Peter 4:7-11.  Peter writes that believers should use whatever spiritual gift they have to serve others.  The word translated gift is Charisma.   That word is used 13 times in the New Testament.  Charisma comes from charis, the Greek word for grace.  The word hereContinue reading "Spiritual gifts make you Charismatic!"

Why does all humankind long for justice?  Why do we thirst for spirituality?  Why do we ache for human relationships?  And why do look for beauty?  ... Those are the questions N.T. Wright starts with in the opening chapters of his newest book called Simply Christian (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006).Wright hooked me early and I stayed withContinue reading "Simply Christian"

I have spent the last two days in Elk Rapids, Michigan, a little town along the eastern shore of Grand Traverse Bay.  The lion's share of each day has been spent working on my Bible memory work.I write out the passages I am memorizing long hand on 3X5 note cards.  Then I take a walkContinue reading "Scripture Memory"