When you share the Gospel with unbelievers, they like to throw up the diversity of Christian expression as something to discredit the claims of Jesus. “What’s up with all the Protestant denominations?” they ask. “Why can’t Christians agree on what the Scriptures say? Doesn’t that indicate you don’t have a unified message?” The expectation behind [...]
Category: judging by appearance
“What Is It?”
Have you ever opened a Christmas present and felt deflated by what was inside? If you’re an adult, you try to hide your disappointment. You murmur what you hope is a heartfelt “thank you” to the one who gave it. After all, you tell yourself, it’s the thought that counts, right? But the feeling of [...]
On Assignment for God
The first time I encountered the idea of my life circumstances being an assignment from God was when I got diagnosed with cancer. Because I had seen others get healed miraculously, instantaneously by God, I assumed that’s what would happen with me. But when the results kept coming back as positive, and the doctors told [...]
Canopies of His Grace
In our western culture of excess, choosing to start small seems strange. We like to launch our work with a big splash, overwhelming everyone with our instant success. Even in our churches, we’ve adopted strategies that mean bigger and bigger buildings, more people on staff, and a congregation so large people have to be divided [...]