Faith, Hope, and Love When Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica he professes three things he recalls about them. He remembers them and their characteristics before God, presumably as he prays, offering thanksgiving to God for their lives and the examples they provide. Three things stand out as the testimony of the Thessalonian church, […]
We Shouldn’t Be Scared When it Comes to God Matthew writes about Jesus sending out his disciples to tell others about him. In the middle of his lengthy instructions, he simply reminds them, “Do not be afraid.” That’s good to know. He is about to send them out by themselves to do something risky. After […]
Can an Actionless Faith Save You? There are some people who try to earn their way into heaven. They do good and obey God’s commands—at least most of them anyway. They work hard their entire life to get God’s attention. Surely when their time comes, God will throw open the doors to heaven. With a […]
Three Outcomes to Consider When people ask for prayer, I’m eager to do so. Prayer is important; prayer makes a difference. God wants us to pray, and it’s part of our spiritual formation. So when someone asks, “Will you pray for me?” I pray. Often I pray right away, either silently or out loud, depending […]
Institutional Church or Organic Church There are two types of church in the Bible, and there are two types of church today. In the Old Testament, there is the temple. At the temple, the priests lead worship and guide the people, as instructed by God through Moses. The Levites provide support to keep things functioning […]
Be Careful What We Sing at Church The tempo was upbeat and the song was inviting. Though new to me, I picked it up quickly. On the third time through the chorus, I started really contemplating the words—and I stopped singing. Really, I did—right in midsentence. The words were wrong. Though it’s technically illegal for […]
Consider the Importance of Church Attendance I often write about the importance of being in meaningful community with other followers of Jesus. I also lament that churches frequently fail to provide significant community. While many churches offer superficial community, few are able to provide a deep, nurturing, caring place. I long for this level of […]
By George Barna (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) In Revolution, Christian futurist, George Barna deftly and convincingly communicates that our world is on the leading edge of a revolution—and that virtually everyone is oblivious to it. Barna states that “this revolution of faith is the most significant transition you or I will experience during our lifetime,” […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Shot documentary style in the 1960s, A Time for Burning captures honest, balanced, poignant, and candid insights into race issues and segregation from a different era. In the decades since, some things have changed dramatically, while others are disappointingly the same. The film chronicles one minister’s attempts to nudge his all-white […]
We Are on the Winning Side and Can Tell the Devil Where to Go This is my second and likely last post about music from my past. First, I blogged about “I Scream Sunday” and today my topic is Stryper’s “To Hell with the Devil.” This heavy metal tune stirs up a passion inside of […]