Paul’s Principles In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus provides an inspiring vision for our walk with God (piety), our relationships with others… Read More »Ten Minute Mystic: Part 1: Four Principles of Life Change
Their numbers were relatively small. But their impact would be immeasurable.
As Jesus scanned the group who’d gathered near him he saw people with no one in their corner, people weary of all that was wrong in the world, people missing out on the best of life, and people hungering for the world to be made right (Matt. 5:2-12). The poor. The mournful. The meek. The hungry and thirsty.
And Jesus told them: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-16). This rag-tag crowd of the fringe and the forgotten would drive decay from the earth and darkness from the world. Their influence would be felt not just in Jerusalem. Not just in Israel. Not just in the Roman Empire. They would affect all the earth and the entire world.
Their numbers were relatively small. But their impact would be immeasurable.
It is inspiring the way a little can result in a lot.
Read More »Ten Minute Mystic: Small Disciplines That Make a Big Difference
A couple of years ago Kendra and I made our first-ever trip to New York. We did all the typical tourist things—go to the top of the Empire State Building, walk through Times Square, see theatrical shows on Broadway, and stroll through the museums. We even visited the Statue of Liberty. The morning of our visit to Ms. Liberty we stood in a long line for tickets. While we waited, some local “entrepreneurs” sold their products up and down the line. They finally made their way the spot where we were standing. The men claimed to be selling Rolex watches and Gucci handbags. For a very reasonable price, they said, we could have a Rolex or a Gucci. The products looked like the real thing. But in fact they were not. They were fakes. The lady in front of us knew this. But she bought one of the watches anyway. She said, “I know it’s a knock-off, but who cares? When I show it to people back home, they’ll think I’ve got the real thing.” I found her comment interesting. She actually wanted the fake watch because it would make her look like she had the real watch. In life there is the fake and there is the real—and sometimes we prefer the fake. This woman knew the watch wasn’t real. But she wanted the fake one because it was an easy way of fooling everyone into thinking she had the real deal.Read More »Masquerade: The Power of a Life Poorly Lived
Deeds Over Creeds
In his book Christless Christianity Michael Horton argues that when it comes to the Christian faith in North America, creeds have given way to deeds.[1] In others words, what counts in modern Christianity are deeds—serving the poor, drilling water wells, and tutoring at-risk children. What no longer counts in contemporary Christianity are creeds—believing specific things about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. What matters these days is what churches do in their communities and around the world, not what churches believe when they gather together. Creeds have given way to deeds.Read More »The American Creed and the Christian Creed: “We Believe” vs. “It Doesn’t Matter What You Believe”