A few years ago, I published Amy Young’s thoughts from the Messy Middle. At the time, she was writing from Beijing, China, where she was a teacher. She’s stateside now, but I’ve always appreciated her voice and insightful writing. I was very impressed with her address to her school’s graduating seniors. She gave great wisdom when she warned them about “The voices” they will hear for the rest of their lives. Reading her words, I realize I hear the same voices... Read more
Every once in a while, someone hands me a shovel and says, “Dig.” While the past is important, unearthing it serves little in the current demands of life. I’m God’s child who is living for this day, determined to make a difference for eternity in my life and others Read more
Christian, you will be chastised, ostracized, removed. You’ll be an outsider, a nobody, a misfit, a lackey. You’ll be mocked. You’ll be pigeon-holed and misunderstood. This is the way of the cross. There is no other way. The Kingdom of God transcends any party, any platform, any body politic. This world is not my home. Read more
The label of hate is used against us to silence Christians, to cause us to shrink back, to shame us. To effectively respond to that, we must disallow the charge to have that effect. Rather than silence us, we should respond with courage. Rather than shrink back, we should stand our ground. Rather than be shamed, we should recognize that truth always has its enemies. Read more
Philosopher, theologian, writer, and speaker Bill Watkins has 8 books, 30 study guides, and more than 150 articles, essays, and other kinds of writing to his credit. One of his early books The New Absolutes, explains how ten beliefs once held to be true would be replaced by ten new beliefs. The book, published 25 years ago, is almost prophetic. His thinking about the Christian’s place in culture is both frightening and hopeful. Frightening in that the tsunami of secular... Read more
I could pick out a dozen things to focus on for improvement at home, work, or church. If you look, it's pretty easy to find incompetence at every level. There is greed, sin, and misplaced priorities everywhere. With folded arms, I could be that guy. Read more
You cannot change the teachings of Christ simply because they are no longer popular in society. Read more
It's not the same. Those who justify the Hamas terrorists based on past Israeli actions are using a failed argument. You cannot point at another's action and then try to outdo the original evil. Read more
Too many lives are full of regrets. The relationship that they lost. The vocation they never found. The place they have never lived. And this is how they see themselves. Read more
We need to respect people, treating them as God sees them. Racism, classism, and a host of other actions are simply wrong. So, I’m not advocating that. But the Word also tells us that we cannot be easily offended. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;” – James 1.19 Read more
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