Imitators of Christ

 
Earlier this week ABC news reported a story of a woman who imitated Christ in a life-threatening situation. Angela Montez was doing her job as a clerk in a check-cashing store. In walked an armed robber who hopped over the counter and stuck a loaded gun in Angela’s face. Angela started praying. She needed God to intervene, not only for her but also for this young, 23 year old man who was about to ruin his life. Angela started talking to the robber, “Don’t do this. You are too young. Don’t do it.” The robber confessed that he had a two-year-old son to support, but he did not have a job. He thought he was out of options. Angela kept imitating Christ. She prayed to God. She showed this man love. She kept talking to him like anyone else who needed a little encouragement. Video surveillance tape shows what happened next. Read the rest of this entry »

The God-Preacher

One of the greatest fears of any preacher is capturing people’s praise rather than directing it to God. That is, instead of pointing people to the glory of God, the preacher runs the risk of pointing people to himself. His tan, muscles, jokes, fashion, friends, intellect, past success, all of it has the potential of interfering with his message and destroying the spiritual power of the sermon.

A recent experience has caused me to think about the importance of pointing people to God, not me. While what I heard was nothing new, it saddened me in a new way. It happened a few weeks ago as I shared dinner with Christian people. As I ate,
Read the rest of this entry »

Dating Primer

 
Dating is fun, or at least it can be. The problem is that many singles don’t know how to get started. That is, how do you go from sitting home alone like a pathetic loser to dining out with someone enjoyable? Here are a few tips to get you caught up with the rest of civilized society.

1) Find someone you are interested in.

There are several ways to meet people these days. There is the whole social networking world that should expose you to many people. Your narcissistic Facebook Read the rest of this entry »

Get Out From Under the Pomegranate Tree

Ken Cooper’s double life ended in 1982. As he left a bank he just robbed, fire flashed from a sheriff’s pistol. Glass exploded into small pieces like a roadside bomb and flew into his flesh. The metal slug slammed into his chest, forcing him backward. People screamed. Ken’s chest burned as he faded into unconsciousness.

This respectable husband’s 13-year career as a bank robber was over. He was headed to “The Rock”, which according to the USA Today, is “Florida’s toughest prison, known for its murders, rapes and suicides.”

Ken was scared. He looked for something to bring him peace. He knew he needed grace and mercy. That search led him to Jesus Christ, whom he trusted as Savior in a county jail as he awaited sentencing. Ken had a radical change of heart. Read the rest of this entry »

Sex Degrees of Separation

An AFP story recently broke from London with the headline, “How many people have you slept with? 2.8 million?” Given the limited time in a day and limited days in one’s life, that figure is physically impossible. Well, the article explains that when you sleep with one person, you expose yourself to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) from all the people that person has slept with and all the people those people have slept with and so on. In STD world, you are sleeping with lots of people anytime you sleep with someone who has had sex with anyone other than you.

This logic makes sense. It follows the same idea studied in academic circles during the 1950s and 60s and eventually popularized by John Guare’s 1990 play, Six Degrees of Separation. The idea is that social links connect every person on Earth. These links form a human web where no more than Read the rest of this entry »

What do Patrick Swayze, Ted Kennedy and Michael Jackson have in common?

What do Patrick Swayze, Ted Kennedy and Michael Jackson have in common?

That’s right, they are all dead.

By framing the question as such, I don’t mean for it to be a joke. The truth is people die. Even famous people die. We can keep reminding ourselves, as one TV commentator did, if needed: Patrick Swayze, Ted Kennedy and Michael Jackson are all dead. It sounds harsh, but it’s true.

We could add many more names to the list of recently deceased people. Read the rest of this entry »

False Friends

A recent status update on facebook read, “Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers” (Proverbs 18:24).

More truth can be gleaned from this passage by checking out different translations: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (NIV); “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (NASB); “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (NLT). The idea is stronger than “some friendships do not last;” some friendships will destroy you! Some friendships will crush you. Read the rest of this entry »

Learning from Wal-Mart Churches

Wal-Mart churches kill their competition. They move into towns and suck the life-blood out of established churches. They attract leaders and people with deep pockets. They conduct worship services in new schools or clean movie theaters. Their creativity and excellence generates a buzz that attracts swarms of worshippers. They grow exponentially overnight while other churches lose one family after another.

When Wal-Mart church moves to town, the religious community changes. The home church loses key families and Sunday morning worship fizzles into a pastry party. The small church Read the rest of this entry »

A Good One

He was a good one. He led by example. He taught the value of hard work by working hard. He demonstrated sacrificial love for his wife by the way he loved my mom.

He loved by sharing himself. He found space in a crowded duck blind for a kid who couldn’t shoot. He forgot about the trophy largemouth bass and settled for one bluegill after another. He kept one of the worst kids on the baseball team on the team. He spent time caring Read the rest of this entry »

Focus on What Matters

Last Wednesday I had lunch with a friend named Tom. Tom has been a Christian longer than me. He is older, old enough to be my father. He has gray hair and he certainly has more life experience.

As Tom and I ate lunch, I told him about all the things that are happening in my life. Let me share a few of these things with you: I’m talking with a few churches about serving as their pastor. I hope to devote more time to One Message. I have a business idea that could be very successful. Read the rest of this entry »