no unpublished thoughts
One of the conflicts that Jesus had with the Pharisees was over the idea of eating with unwashed hands. Most common people ignored this rule, as the labor involved in acquiring water as well as the necessary utensils for washing hands would be hard to come by unless one were wealthy. So Jesus and his … Continue reading The Hands that Broke the Bread
“We could have been homeschooling”, I reflected while dishing out the annual cash to the kids for the GDA Christmas store. There would have been no kids Christmas concert. No classroom parties. No teacher gifts to buy. And if that had been the the way that 2024 faded into 2025, we would have been ok. … Continue reading Merry Christmas, GDA
Thanksgiving dinner is still digesting but Black Friday deals wait for no man. Although, TBH, my inclination towards any Black Friday purchases is pretty low this year, partially because finances are tight and partially because living space is tight during some housing transitions we are working through. But gift giving is a part of our … Continue reading Choosing Christmas Presents for the Kids
Like most pastors, I have been reflecting on the pattern of declining church attendance over the last few decades. Within my own quarter of a century of ministry at my local church, we have witnessed the loss of the Sunday evening service (attendance had dropped so low that we did not “bring it back” following … Continue reading Does the Digital Age Favor Roman Catholicism over Evangelicalism?
We are three days past the elections here in the United States. Now what? Specifically, what can Christians learn and what do Christians need to do in this moment? I thought of some reasons to be thankful, some reasons to be hopeful, and some challenges that lie ahead of us. I am thankful that the … Continue reading The Election is Over. Now What?
2016 was the first election in which I did not walk into the voting booth knowing what I would do. As it turns out, I could not bring myself to vote for Donald Trump. Every time we vote, we are holding two things in balance. The first is the character of the nominee, and the … Continue reading Why I didn’t vote for Donald Trump, then I did vote for Trump, and Who I am Voting for Now. If you care.
Lately my eight year old son has been asking about lifting weights. After a couple days of this I asked him why he wanted to lift weights, to which he responded that he wanted to be the strongest in his class. Unfortunately for my son, his father did not pass down to him the muscle-y … Continue reading The Strongest Man
October, 2024 Isa 48:22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. One of the results of mankind’s fall into … Continue reading Communion Meditation
Meg Basham pulls no punches in her recent book, “Shepherds For Sale”. With a background in journalism that includes several years with World Magazine, contributions to the Wall Street Journal, the Telegraph, First Things, and National Review, she currently writes on cultural issues for the conservative media company, the Daily Wire. Following a viral article, … Continue reading Shepherd’s For Sale: A Book Review
With 4 kids at age 10 and under, I’m up for any parenting strategy that might save my sanity. Currently, I’m considering giving my kids 10 “daddy dollars” every morning and every time they ask me a question, they have to pay me a dollar. While this means I would have to answer forty questions … Continue reading Gentle Parenting and Tough Love: Doomed Parenting Strategies
Nathan Writes 