Your Identity Should Not Be a Secret — to You

Knowing who you are and what you stand for is crucial

“Know thyself” – Socrates Last week, I re-posted a longish discussion of Robert Ardrey’s theory that Identity, Stimulation, and Security are the three psychological and emotional needs that we must fulfill once our immediate physical needs are satisfied. I titled that post “Three Vectors of Emotional Health,” and I declared my intention to comment further […]

Our Chaos is Why Christmas Exists

The answer is yes

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – […]

Seeking the Peace of a New and Eternal City

It will happen -- but it might look different

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV) Like many of you, I watched the protests and riots that affected Charlotte, NC, following an officer-involved shooting of an […]

Re-post: What Good Is Being Good?

On law, grace, and how they fit together

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to […]

Good Friday

Consider the grace and the gift of God - you have a decision to make

Today is Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on behalf of sinful humanity. As he hung on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These words are the first verse of Psalm 22 — a psalm written by King David of Israel over 500 years […]

Emptying Myself

Is it possible to have spiritual colic?

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in […]

Re-Post: The Unsung Hero of Christmas

The noble character of Joseph

Merry Christmas! While we celebrate the incarnation of Christ Jesus, I want to ask you to consider the example of a man who was indispensable to the Christmas story — Joseph the carpenter.   Meet Joseph When we first meet Joseph in the Bible, he is defined in terms of his relationships — as the […]

Re-Post: The Advent Conspiracy – A Cure for Grinches?

How to bring back the wonder of Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner.  Despite the holiday-themed TV ads that began in early November and the radio stations that started playing Christmas music around the same time, it’s possible you may have missed it.  As a friend of mine observed, “Christmas seems to come earlier every year.” If the crass commercialization of the […]

Re-Post: The Way Home

Four steps to get you headed in the right direction

To this point, we’ve talked about chastity, about getting fit, about developing a work ethic and about perseverance — all oriented toward actions you can take to improve your future.  But what if your past is holding you back?  I mean, what if you’ve totally blown it?  Is there a way to start over, or […]

Hallelujah Anyhow: How to Remain Supremely Hopeful

Don't let disappointment have the last word

“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians–when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.” – Sheldon Vanauken, A Severe Mercy As […]