in Exodus
Hope In the Wilderness
And so here we are. The year is 2020 and the pandemic has turned our world upside down and proven to be anything but short-lived. Jokes and humor are much needed to help us...
in Genesis
Making a Bad Thing Work for the Good
And you thought your family was dysfunctional! Today we look at the family of Jacob. This story today makes me think of these keynote words from God in Genesis: “Through you and your descendants, all...
in Genesis
Lessons From the Garden
We learn in this memorable lesson that we are made from “Adamah,” which means dirt, dust. We are from the earth – an animal, a creature. The name Adam is taken from this root word....
in Matthew
Rock and Stumbling Block Both
Those of you from my era or older may remember Jim Marshal of the Minnesota Vikings. He was a great player, one of the “rocks” from those classic Viking teams – the Super Bowl Viking...
in Romans
A Sermon About Dogs
“It’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The pivotal quote from our lesson today. Funny thing is, as children, many of us probably snuck food from the table...
in Matthew
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
Ever wish you could take it back? When my older brother, Jim, was 13 or 14, he had a few issues with attitude. One time, he commented unfavorably on mom’s cooking, suggesting dog food might...
in Matthew
Finding Feasts in the Wilderness
I’ll never forget the experience of having completed a week at Camp Christikon in Montana with 35 junior high kids. We had just had a great week in the mountains and were now heading home...
in Matthew
The Hidden and the Small
So, how do you like today’s rapid-fire images of the what the kingdom of heaven is like? This is a great topic, because people of faith are often mystified by what the kingdom of heaven...
in Matthew
Time We Talk About Weed
As I reflect on this text today of the wheat and the weeds, I remember well when my then 5-year-old son, Thomas, was first coming to grips with the fact that there were bad people...
in Matthew
Life Itself Can Be Good Soil
So, what does it take for something to grow? A farmer or a gardener is preoccupied with this question. So, too, are people of faith. How does faith grow? This is the question behind the...