The battle in the mind never stops.  How often do you get a medal at the end of the day for having had a pure-minded day?  Not often?  Me neither.Everyday -- usually many, many times a day -- we have to decide whom we are going to serve."Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,Continue reading "The battle in the mind never stops"

It regularly occurs to me that my prayers rise above earth's lamentations.  Here's a list of prayer requests submitted to Irish monks for prayer on a site linked to Sacred Space, a wonderful online prayer site I visit almost every day.  Click on requests (above) and scroll down the page.  Merely scroll through the hugeContinue reading "Our prayers rise above earth’s lamentations"

Here's to showing respect to other men.  However else you define being a real man, if you lord it over other men, perhaps even causing them to cower in fear because you're such a MAN, you are are no man.  Only those men who are deeply insecure and fearful cause other men to fear them.Here'sContinue reading "Men must show respect to other men"

      In a recent post I mentioned that we must have a high view of Scripture.  In fact, every generation has the awesome and fearful task of accurately dividing the Word of Truth.  Here's Bill Jackson's (former pastor here at the Vineyard in Champaign-Urbana) clear and concise thought about Scripture interpretation:Bible readers have usedContinue reading "A clear definition of how to think about Scripture interpretation"

Paul on Mars Hill (an artist's rendition on left) reasoned with seekers from the Hebrew Scriptures.  Did he interpret them accurately?  Absolutely.  Our task as believers is to accurately interpret the text.  It's amazing to me to read historical documents where biblical scholars have used the Scriptures to justify such atrocities as "holy" wars (TheContinue reading "A high View of Women and a high view of Scripture are nonnegotiables"

Our staff here at the Vineyard in Champaign-Urbana, IL, is now participating in our third Vineyard Bible Institute course since last fall.  Dr. Derek Morphew from Cape Town, South Africa, has written much of the VBI curricula, including The Kingdom of God IV, the course now being offered.Dianne Leman, our co-senior pastor here, is theContinue reading "The presence of the kingdom initiates repentance"

Ron Sider is most famous for his book called Rich Christians in an age of Hunger.  When I read it 25 years ago, it deeply affected how I approach my lifestyle and finances.  To this day, I owe Sider a debt of gratitude.Now Sider, a staunch evangelical, has come out wondering if the evangelicals inContinue reading "Surely we Kingdom people should be different"

I think a lot of men, women too honestly, often feel like this poor, lonely tree.  Not many of us would say we have truly close friends.  Some guy in our church recently expected me to be his close friend, although he never made that clear to me.  Frankly, we are not that close, althoughContinue reading "How many friends do you really have?"