This coming Sunday I am speaking on Genesis 38, the sad story of Tamar. I have found the “Read Scripture” videos from Bible Project very helpful for understand the bible. Watch these videos if you want to get a sense of how the story of Genesis 38 fits into the rest of the book, and the rest of the bible.

“There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; That is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; That is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; That is love.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

SCRIPTURE: “Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” (Psalm 4:8)

How did Martin Luther King Jr. handle discouragement?
MLK is admired for his strong passion for the Lord’s vision of racial equality and justice for all. But he must have faced a lot of discouragement. He was attacked by many, and even felt the pressure of his own supporters.

I know that if I were him, I would have really struggled with discouragement. How about you? Continue reading ‘Finding Courage in the Lord!’ »

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 3
“Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.” (Psalm 3:7)

In 1946, one year after WW2 ended, concentration camp survivor Corrie Ten Boom went to Germany to speak about Jesus. During the war Corrie and her family had set up their home as a ‘hiding place’ for Jews, resistance workers and others hiding from the Germans. In 1944 a neighbour reported them to the authorities, and her entire family was arrested. Her father died 10 days later, while she and her sister were sent to Ravensbruck, a work camp for women. The conditions were terrible, and many women died under the brutality of the guards, including her older sister Betsie. Amazingly, fifteen days later she was released, though this was a clerical error. One week later all the women her age were sent to the gas chambers.

In 1946, at this gathering in Germany, she spoke on the grace of God and the love of Jesus. When she was done, a man approached her, a man she recognized. He was one of the guards who had been especially harsh toward her sister, Betsie. He told her that he was now a christian, and experienced God’s forgiveness. But he wanted forgiveness from someone he had wronged, so he held out his hand to her and asked her to forgive him.

Imagine the deep pain and emotion and anger boiling within her as she came face to face with the man that had brutalized her much-loved sister, under whom she had died. What would you do? What would you say? Continue reading ‘Do something, Lord!’ »

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 46
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

As a Jesus follower, life can be challenging as we strive to live WITH, LIKE and FOR Jesus in the world. We face struggles from the world itself, but also struggles within our own sinful nature. And Satan loves to stir up trouble for us – to discourage or distract or disturb us, and ultimately to defeat us as Jesus followers. How do we stay strong and focused on the Lord when we face the many challenges and trials and crises of life?

Psalm 46 reflects these challenges, but also encourages us in how we should respond to them. In the words of v.10, we are urged to “be still, and know that I am God”. I would suggest that the practice of ‘being still’ is a helpful and empowering way of staying strong when the world is falling apart all around us. Continue reading ‘Be Still and Know…’ »

(Something to read if you’ve been nominated to serve)
What does it mean to be called to ministry. When I was in high school, I felt called into the ministry. What that meant for me – and for most people I know – was that I was called to be an ‘ordained minister’ in the church. To be a ‘pastor’, to be ‘clergy’, to be a ‘minister of the word and sacraments’. I put all those words in quotes because I am uncomfortable with all of them now. I believe we have distorted the original meaning of these words. As a result many disciples are confused about their own calling as disciples. Are they called to ministry too, and how does their ministry relate to mine?

Clarifying terms
Let me begin by defining some terms. To be ‘ordained’ is to be appointed and anointed by God for a specific task in His kingdom mission. Although the church has restricted that term to a special class of workers (clergy), I see all disciples as equally ordained by God for their tasks, just different tasks. The tasks may differ, but the ordination by the Spirit is the same. Continue reading ‘Is God calling me?’ »

In most of the churches I have served there has been an Evangelism (or Outreach) Committee. This team of dedicated christians worked to help the church share the message of Jesus with their community. They did things like:

• buy tracts for members to share with their neighbours
• set up a booth at the local fair to hand out information and a free gift
• organized a community event (like a Fun Fair or BBQ)
• hosted ‘how to share your faith’ workshops or classes
• planned an annual ‘Bring a Friend’ Sunday

What struck me about these opportunities was that for the most part it was always the same people participating: those who were serving on the team, and those who already had a heart for sharing their faith. In addition, the numbers were usually small, the results difficult to measure, and the team was usually frustrated that no one else came out to help.

I would like to consider the possibility that a church should not have an Evangelism Committee. As I see it, I wonder if having such a committee actually works against mobilizing christians for sharing their faith. Continue reading ‘No evangelism committee needed!?’ »

“We are discipling people every day in our work—as we treat a customer with respect, help out a coworker with his or tasks, respect the boss even when others grumble behind his back, seek justice in the way we do our business, make the workplace a more peaceful place to be, offer to go the extra mile to get the work done and done right, etc. How are you making disciples by the way you do your work?” (Alan Hirsch)