upward & inward

As we prepared for baptism last Sunday, I had the privilege of talking with folks about how they came to Christ - how they experienced the Good News that only He has to offer us.  What great encouragement!  These stories remind me of how desperately we need Jesus - every day - and how thankful I am for the grace of God. I found helpful a few Scriptures that bear memorization regarding the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here they are: All have sinned Romans 3:23 Isaiah 53:6 Sin has a penalty Romans 6:23 Hebrews 9:27 Christ paid the penalty Romans 5:8 1 Peter 3:18 Must receive Christ John 1:12-13 Revelation 3:20 Salvation not by works Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:5 Assurance of Salvation 1 John 5:13 John 5:24 Take some time today and prayerfully meditate on what God offers a dying world. And, if you haven't received Christ in your life, today could be the day! (NOTE: One of the blessings (and challenges) I've ha...

Still struggling with an inner ear issue, I have experienced vertigo three times in the last 6 months. The most recent, just this past Sunday.  Previously, others tried to describe this phenomena to me, but I really didn't understand until I went through it myself.  I've come to the conclusion that I wouldn't wish it on anyone. When I experience vertigo, n o matter how hard I try to "push through", I can't stop the room - the world - from spinning. Up is down, down is up, and all sides turn into themselves.   Someone else has to help me.   Depending on how bad it is, I need help to stand or to walk.  I typically require medical attention.  Simply put, I can't solve the problem on my own. Spiritual Vertigo is something similar.  It can describe a situation when what we formerly believed, and even experienced, is challenged somehow and we're left wondering, "what exactly do we believe?" One moment we're sure of what we believe, ...

Since the beginning, the church has struggled with conformity. How are we supposed to behave as Christ-followers? Merriam-Webster defines conformity as: behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. Conformity can naturally occur in the larger society and smaller groups, like a church.  And, I suppose we can expect that a group of people who claim an affinity for one another (or to a common Person) would think, speak, and act in a similar fashion.  The challenge comes with the motivation (or cause) of the behavior. Is our motivation really to be like each other? To fit in? In societal groups (churches, schools, clubs, sports teams, even gangs), there are expectations of behavior.  (Note: I'm not a sociologist, just an observer!) Just ask a high school student and she will tell you that expectations from fellow students are strong and real.  For a church, these expectations can quickly devolve into " externalism " so tha...