Two years ago I was confronted with the realization that I had been reading John 15 from a fundamentally flawed perspective.  Take a moment and read the first nine verses, and count the number of times the words ‘abide/remain’ and ‘fruit’ are used.  In most versions each are mentioned at least seven times in these nine short verses.  Clearly they are the focus of this text. From my perspective there was an inherent contradiction .

I was sitting on the beach during a family vacation in Belize, taking in the beauty of the Caribbean as it splashed its way onto the sandy shore. Children were playing along the shoreline, running to stay ahead of the waves as if chased by a ferocious beast. Some of it was play, but some was a real fear of the power of the incoming waves. Older kids had conquered that fear and were .

Our Position in the Presence of God – Mathew 27:46 Our third meditation on this text considers the emphasis, “why have you forsaken me?”  If we are honest, this is the version with which we most closely identify.  It is not just the forsakenness, or the fact that it is happening for some reason, or even that it comes from a loving God.  It is the fact that it is happening to me! The result .

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a day working in a carpenter’s shop with Jesus? What would your day be like? I think Jesus would run his carpenter shop like every other carpenter shop.  He would not use any Holy Spirit power to extract a bent nail, or rely on miracles to plane and shape the wood.  The excellence of the products produced in his shop would not come because .

It has been nearly a month since I have blogged.  Honestly, I have been struggling with spiritual dryness that has left me with little to share.  I have been searching for a way to recover the passion and perspective I had at the start of the year when I made the bold commitment to be ‘all in’ for Christ. Last Sunday I found it. The words of a beautiful and simple song have provided .

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal 4:4-5) There are a great number of verses in Scripture that speak of ‘patience’, ‘waiting on the Lord’ and ‘in God’s time’.  I have chosen to reference only one because it so beautifully illustrates our main point. The verse, however, forces a .

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 16:32-33  God is infinitely more concerned with who you are than in what you do.  Do you believe .

Many years ago my 3 year-old son Anthony had a simple question for me when I told him I would be gone on a business trip for several days. “Why, Daddy?”  ‘Well’ I explained, ‘I have to meet with some people.’  That was not sufficient. The question came again, ‘why?’  I tried to answer, but he would not be deterred.  ‘Why?’ he asked again and again.  I finally gave him the answer all parents .

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.   Psalm 23: 1-4   .