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Carmalie’s Story

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  Originally published August 9, 2014 Carmalie is a pretty, 9-year-old girl with a wide, toothy grin that just begs for a camera to catch it. She loves to dance, and her friends describe her as the happiest girl in her neighborhood. Sometime in the early morning hours of Aug. 8, in a broken-down shack in a dusty, rubble-filled little town in Haiti, her grandmother, who cared for Carmalie and three other orphans, died. The children all called her “Grams.” Grams had taken them all in, provided shelter for them and what meager food she could find with the help … Continue reading Carmalie’s Story

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Why Haiti?

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Originally published August 4, 2014 Since I started this blog as a way to document a mission trip to Haiti in August 2014, it’s appropriate for my first real post to describe the point of this trip. Why Haiti? It’s a fair question. I never considered myself a missionary. I never had a connection to anyone there, other than the same kind of connection every American has had who has watched the news during the past several decades. I might have said something like, “Those poor people” as I watched news coverage of the devastating earthquake or a hurricane that … Continue reading Why Haiti?

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The Day of the Lord

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  March 26, 2017 Last week, we talked briefly about the concept of God actively bringing pain into the lives of His people. You might remember that I asked whether God ALLOWS pain in the lives of His people. Everyone in the room nodded and said, Yes. But then I asked whether God ever BRINGS suffering into the lives of those who are His. I think I would describe your assent to that idea as muted, at best. Scripture tells us that God is good, that He loves us and that every good thing we have comes from Him. I … Continue reading The Day of the Lord

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Go bear fruit

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  March 19, 2017 Before we get into the meat of today’s lesson, I want to start with a couple of questions I was pondering while I studied. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to John 13:23. We’ll be just a couple of pages further along in today’s text, so you’ll want to keep your Bibles open to the Book of John. Read John 13:23 Now turn to John 19:26. Read Now, look at John 21:7. Read Christian tradition and most current church scholars agree that John was identifying himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” in these … Continue reading Go bear fruit

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My shepherd loves me and keeps me from fear

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The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me … Continue reading My shepherd loves me and keeps me from fear

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A seat at the table

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  March 12, 2017 Coloring outside the lines again… Ephesians 2:1-10 – A favorite Let’s read it. OK, I preached on this a few weeks ago, and I could do so again today, but I want to show you how beautiful God’s story is, how wonderfully connected and interwoven. Has anyone ever said to you that the Bible is just a bunch of made-up stories? As a writer, here’s the thing that doesn’t make sense about that: All of the “made-up stories” fit together so perfectly. So many different writers working separately across more than a thousand years of time … Continue reading A seat at the table

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What is love?

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  March 5, 2017 outline Overwhelming topic From Dr. David Jeremiah Love is what’s in the room at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. If you want to learn to love better, you should start with someone you hate. Love is a like little old woman and a little old man who are still friends, even after they know each other very well. Dictionary: an intense feeling of deep affection. a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. About a thousand other definitions Scripture: Four words for love Eros — Physical, sensual love (not used in the Bible); … Continue reading What is love?

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There oughta be a law…

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  February 12, 2017 Last week, I asked a question, somewhat tongue in cheek: What makes us so righteous? Can someone briefly describe the answer? Right. Our righteousness comes from Christ. We are clothed in Him. And being clothed in Christ means that we should look and act like Him. But the life of someone who is seeking to be Christlike is not an easy one. Jesus said, in Matthew, Chapter 7: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the … Continue reading There oughta be a law…

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Heirs of God

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  February 5, 2017 Last week, I asked a question to start things off. Anyone remember what it was?             Why are we here? Anyone remember the answer?             To bring God glory. I want to start this week’s lesson with another question and a warning. First the warning: Once again, I’m veering away from the text of the lesson, though perhaps not as widely as I did last week. I imagine Pastor Chris or someone from the Education Committee is going to come in with a shepherd’s crook some Sunday and drag me out of here. Until then…. So … Continue reading Heirs of God

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Glorify God

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  January 29,2017 Why are you here? Not just about Sunday School. Not just about church. Though it’s a good idea to remind ourselves from week to week why we really do these things — or why we should. Why do we exist? It’s a question that has been the province of poets and philosophers for thousands of years. Indeed, it’s a question that’s at the very root of art, music, literature and, yes, even Scripture. Why are we here? Hallelujah! There’s your answer. Plain and simple. One word in English. Two in the Hebrew from which it originates. Halllu … Continue reading Glorify God