Christine's Blog – June 2015 Archive (21)

Captain Marvel – what moves Jesus. Matthew 8.5-13…

Your Bible – not in chronological order.  Matthew 8.…

Just act … like Jesus.  Matthew 8.1-4

First, he sent me a text message:  “Need your opinion!!! Holla.” The…

Charleston Christians Send Loud Message.

…

One of these things is not Like the Other.

While it is not necessarily a current saying, it applies to current events. 



I’m a flipper…or is it a puncher? Of radio stations, that is. Driving in my car the other day, I was listening to the BBC, and caught an interview with a Canadian mother, whose son had recently moved to Syria to join ISIS. Even though the thought of a young man leaving a free society to be part of a violent, evil…

What does a Christian Believe?  Part two.

Always …

A Blessing on Father’s Day 2015

Dads come in all shapes and sizes, all different shades of skin—some with a lot of hair, some just a little, some with none at all. Some are young, some are old, some are grandpas, and some seem to be still wet behind the ears. Some dads are paid great honor and tribute by their children, while others are only made aware of their shortcomings and failings. The first human being God ever created also became the first…

What does a Christian Believe? Part one.  Matthew 7.28-29 



The year was 1979, and I was a student at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota. One night, a group of us went to hear someone speak about the truth of Christianity. He was articulate, passionate, intelligent, very well read and studied, and I found my mouth hanging open a few times at the authority and power with which he spoke—his name, Josh McDowell. 



Why do I describe his…

When the Rains Come …Matthew 7.24-29

We sang this in Sunday School, complete with the hand motions for the whole song: ‘The foolish man built his house upon the sand…the rains came down, and the floods came up, and the house on the sand went splat’; whereas ‘the wise man built his house upon the rock’ and when the rains…

Give me the Tools for More.  Matthew 7.24

After a very long day in the classroom, I exited the Harvard building, headed out into a cold, windy evening, and walked quite a few blocks to a restaurant where many of my classmates gathered for a late…

How Solid is your Foundation?  Matthew 7.24-29 



“Where were you?” It was a common question every time you saw someone you knew. ‘Where were you when the earthquake hit?’ Many folks in the San Francisco Bay Area were in front of their television sets watching the World Series, since the SF Giants were playing the team from across the Bay, the Oakland Athletics. Me? I was driving into my parents’ long driveway in Alameda, my hometown about 12 miles east of San…

Courage and the Narrow Path

. Matthew 7.24-27

Why choosing it is absolutely critical!

“What will the transition be like?” she asked me with a weak voice. “You know, I’m scared, and I really don’t want to be alone.” Lying on her hospital bed near the big picture window in her bedroom, Raquel turned her head a little bit and cut her eyes to take in my answer. She was talking about dying. You see, she wanted to know what it might be like to take her last breath…

How do you know if you are on the Narrow Path?  Matthew 7.13-23

Sometimes it feels like “anything goes”.  Whatever makes you happy, then that’s…

The Narrow Path to God.  Matthew 7.13-14;  John 14.6

Jesus comes Out.  Tis a Difficult Thing … who can abide it?  Matthew 7.13-14

How the Narrow Gate shapes our Lives

. Matthew 7.13-14

Ah, but there is more to be said about Jesus’ description of the narrow gate and the wide gate. He said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Nothing is more evident in our choices of gates than the decisions we make regarding living…

Our Choices Define Us. Matthew 7.13-14 



When I exited the church building on Sunday, I was caught in a driving rainstorm on one of Cambridge’s little side streets in the historic area of town; there were no taxis to be hailed, no respite to be had in dry transport. (Oh, and by the way, during the worship service, a strange alarm had sounded; though I did not find out the reason until later, the alarm was signaling flash flooding all around the area.)…

Discipline and the Narrow Gate. Matthew 7.13-14 



Consider this epitaph from a boxer in ancient Greece: 



“Here he died boxing in the stadium – Having prayed to Zeus for a wreath or death. Age 35. Farewell.” [from an unearthed monument] 



Second place was not an option for this competitor; he died going for the gold. Actually, the Greek word for ‘victory’ was Nike. The ancient world was very familiar with her…

The Seventh Chapter.

Hi. I am in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take a dispute resolution class at Harvard’s Law School this week. The schedule is rigorous, intense, and demanding, but will be beneficial to my equipping as a minister of Jesus to many folks worldwide. There are some travel stories as I made my way across country that I hope to weave into the Morning Briefings. 



Nonetheless, I am mindful that we have just come through an intense passage…

The Seventh Chapter.

Hi. I am in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take a dispute resolution class at Harvard’s Law School this week. The schedule is rigorous, intense, and demanding, but will be beneficial to my equipping as a minister of Jesus to many folks worldwide. There are some travel stories as I made my way across country that I hope to weave into the Morning Briefings. 



Nonetheless, I am mindful that we have just come through an intense passage…