A tree that stood in my backyard seemed fine to the naked eye. But it was faulty . . . weak . . . vulnerable. It was plagued on the inside. Beneath the bark, unknown and unseen, it was slowly being eaten away. So, under the intense pressure of a storm, it splintered . . . and fell with a mighty crash. Faults, under severe conditions, often surface. We all carry in our inner selves, in varying degrees, some form of weakness inflicted by the fallenness of this world. Some we tr

There are numerous occasions documented, in both the Old and New Testaments alike, when God gathered people together out of the goodness of His grace—always for purpose. In our first gathering in my online study, we discussed God’s gathering of Noah, his family, and the animals. That ark was a vessel of God’s grace for salvation. We also looked at the gatherings of our gracious Lord. And how, through faith in Him, we are saved by grace. In coming to save the world, Jesus came

Realization pierced the thick fog—permitting light to stream and flood. This realization came about by asking myself one simple question, borrowed from the apostle Paul: Why is it thought incredible that God can _________________________________? Because God can do all things, that blank can be filled-in with anything. What’s telling is that thing we subconsciously put there when doubt flares. I’m ashamed to admit that I have put a gamut of sad and sorry things in that blank.

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Ex 4:10-12 ESV). Moses was not eloquent or quick of speech. True, he was saved as a babe and chosen by God, but he was als

You’ve probably seen them. Those side-by-side photos paired on social media to signify the open and close of the decade known as the 20-10s. Nostalgia sent me to the archives—scanning through the past ten years of our family’s photos. What a sweet stroll it was. When the decade opened, we were busy with sports, youth group trips, school clubs, and band. Over the course of those busy years, we celebrated high school graduations and college graduations. Come the close of the de

How many dispensers do you have in your home? As I putzed around my house one peculiar day, I made a mental note of the varied dispensers scattered about. (Don’t ask me why! I hardly know myself.) I counted soap dispensers, drink dispensers, a label dispenser, tape dispensers, a water dispenser, and an empty Pez dispenser. I added among them a couple varieties of aroma dispensers. (One in my son’s room, to be sure! And let’s not forget the one that goes in the trunk of the ca

Where the Spirit is, there is . . . conviction. Humbling conviction. Transformative conviction. Empowering conviction. And, boy, did I ever get a good dose of it! But our adversary tried to hijack that conviction and drive it to the extreme. Always wanting to take advantage of prime opportunity to shame and immobilize, he slithered in the back door of my mind and tried to corrupt a teachable moment. But for that, I guess I need to provide details… I’m honored to be part of an