Should Churches Display the American Flag?

My wife and I recently were guests at a wedding.  As we sat down in the church, we both immediately noticed a large American flag hanging on the left side of the front of the sanctuary.  On the right side was a large Israeli flag.  Both flags were draped boldly in front of worshipers.  They weren’t […]

Wives Submit to Your Husbands; Husbands Love Your Wives

Few passages in Scripture have caused as much emotion and disagreement as Ephesians 5:22-23.  Few passages have also been as abused, and as a result, inflicted such grief to families as this passage.  Yet, in spite of often being misunderstood and feared, the passage has also ushered great harmony into Christian marriages when it is recognized for what it teaches. I suspect that […]

Jesus Doesn’t Want Us to Be Doormats…Right?

Jesus said not to “resist an evil person,” but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matt 5:39). I was teaching on this passage once when someone responded, “Jesus doesn’t want us to be doormats!”  It was spoken in a rhetorical fashion, as if the obvious response was to […]

How to Offer An Apology

We’ve all been there. Someone has offended us.  Then, in an awkward conversation they “offer” an apology.  Yet, as we walk away we can’t escape the feeling that there was no actual apology offered.  The words were there. But it wasn’t an apology.  What has happened? The purpose of this short posting is not about dealing with […]

The Dangers of Being Christian in America

It is no secret that many countries are openly hostile to Christians and Christianity.  Even countries that claim a policy of tolerance toward Christianity, often abuse, arrest, and kill Christians.  In many places it is risky to be called Christian.  It can be dangerous to share your faith, and even deadly to convert to a follower of […]

Does a Christian Have to be a Member of a Local Church?

A few terms must be adequately clarified to answer this question.  The first term to define is “Christian.”  This word does not mean the same thing to everyone.  To some, it may be a way of defining themselves as not belonging to other groups.  For example, one may think of themselves as not Jewish, or not Muslim, or not an atheist.  Having been […]

I Can Never Forgive That Person!

There isn’t a person reading this post, or even a person not reading this post, who hasn’t been offended by someone.  The offense may have been as simple as being cut off in traffic, or it may have been the deep violation of a betrayal by someone close to us.  Regardless of the depth, every one of us has been offended […]

What Is God’s Response to Suicide?

I have heard this question asked on more than just a few occasions.  It is not a subject that I have taken lightly, and have given it some serious consideration.  I don’t believe that it is as black and white as some make it out to be.  That is because I don’t believe that the Bible […]