Greek philosophers championed the idea of “Nothing in excess.” The slogan was etched onto public buildings, referencing the “Golden Mean” or “Middle Way” made popular by Plato and his student Aristotle. To be a true virtue, Aristotle argued in his work on ethics, it must be held in balance between two extremes. As one example, [...]
From its beginning the world has been limited in significant ways. God imposed limits on vast bodies of water, for instance, to keep their destructive power in check. When challenged by his servant Job, the Lord asked him in Job 38:4-11: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who shut up the sea [...]
We all know that God’s ways are not like the ways of the world. Yet we tend to continue to operate like everything depends on us. We polish our skills and groom our appearance so we can be more appealing to our peers. But if we’re fortunate, every once in a while God allows us [...]
I have a hymnal in my library that’s organized around themes. I found it interesting as I paged through it the other day that the section on God the Father included 71 hymns and choruses and the section on the person of Jesus had 175 songs. Do you know how many songs were dedicated to [...]
Protests and demonstrations are back in the news as many college campuses are being rocked by demands for change. I feel like I’m living in the ‘60s again! It’s become a part of our Western culture for people to take to the streets in an attempt to secure rights for themselves or their favorite group. [...]
Picture the scene with me. Jesus has risen from the dead, validating His claim to be God in the flesh. He’s appeared to more than 500 people in the past 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:6) and now He’s gathered together His remaining disciples to give them their new assignment: something we call the Great Commission. [...]
For centuries, the classic question about causality has been Which Came First … the Chicken or the Egg? Dilemmas like these arise when we can’t discern which of two events should be considered the cause and which considered the effect. When we try to figure it out through human reasoning we often get it wrong. [...]
Sometimes we think our culture is particularly wicked and beyond God’s reach. We begin to imagine life without the influence of the Gospel and wonder: What will guide and inspire the generations that come after us if it vanishes from sight? But a cursory look at history will reassure us that "when the enemy comes [...]
It’s a rather complicated process, the way we perceive shapes and colors around us and make sense of our world. But God’s design for sight is perfect … as long as all the elements are working as they should. Light enters our eyes through the cornea, the clear outer layer, which bends it as it [...]
In this day of increasing persecution towards Christians worldwide, it’s important to know how to fight our adversaries in the right spirit. In Matthew 10 Jesus sends out His followers to share the Gospel with their fellow Israelites. He makes it clear what they are to do in His name—proclaim that the kingdom of heaven [...]
Adventuring with God 