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The inimitable Dallas Willard died yesterday at age 77.  From Dallas Willard:“We must understand that God does not ‘love’ us without liking us – through gritted teeth – as ‘Christian’ love is sometimes thought to do. Rather, out of the eternal freshness of his perpetually self-renewed being, the heavenly Father cherishes the earth and eachContinueContinue reading “God loves us and he really, really likes us, too”

Yes, Jesus fed the 5,000.  Yes, he walked on the water, even beckoning Peter walk on the water, too.  These are amazing events.  Both are recorded in Matthew 14.But look at the context.  Look at the whole scene.1.  At the beginning of Matthew 14 John the Baptist gets beheaded.  Yes, the one of whom itContinueContinue reading “Always look at the context as you ponder ministry in God’s Kingdom”

I love to ask people questions because great questions can usually cut through a lot of the fog.  Jesus was a person who was always asking great questions…When the  disciples were in a boat  in a terrible storm, Jesus asked,  “Why are you afraid?” (Matthew 8:26)He asked  the  disciples, when  they were  faced  with feedingContinueContinue reading “Jesus — the great question asker”

Freelance author Philip Yancey, one of my long-time favorite writers,  is just finishing up a trip to the far east, including Malaysia, where he spoke at a pastor’s conference.  Below are some of the questions he fielded from Malaysian pastors.  Sounds like questions that could have come from a pastor’s conference here in America, too.ContinueContinue reading “Questions Malaysian pastors ask…”

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  I am deeply saddened and I am grieving for people in Boston.  I am so sorry.  I pray for them … the medical personnel, the firemen, the clergy, the policeman, the school teachers, the parents of young children, and the families of those killed orContinueContinue reading “So hard… We can only imagine”

[This religion column appeared in section B-3 of the Sunday Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette (4/14/2013).  With their permission, here it is.] The Christian world was shocked last week when news spread of the death of 27-year-old Matthew Warren, the youngest son of internationally-known pastor Rick Warren of the famed Saddleback Community Church in Orange County Calif. TheContinueContinue reading “Compassionate care key for those struggling with mental illness”

I read Albert Hsu’s book Grieving a Suicide, written by Hsu after his own father ended his life in 1998. This piece written by Hsu for the TU 4/9 online edition of Christianity Today magazine is excellent.

Trusting God does not mean that we will never have questions, doubts, or fears. It doesn’t mean we won’t be depressed or discouraged.  Trusting God does not mean we won’t have to take anti-depressants or get sick. We cannot simply turn off the natural thoughts and feelings that arise when we face difficult circumstances. Author Ken SandeContinueContinue reading “Trusting God does not mean not having questions and doubts”