Unforgiveness is not so much an act which cannot be forgiven, but rather it is a sign that we have not left the universe of law and obligation. It is a sign that we have rejected the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom of grace. One of my foundational ideas is that the scriptures […]
When the flight attendant intones the usage of the safety devices on the plane, he or she always says to put the oxygen mask on yourself, that way you will be conscious to help your child. If you want to help your child, you have to have oxygen first. Many times in talking about mercy […]
I am blessed and not cursed. I am loved by God whether I feel like it or not. I am forgiven even when I just can’t imagine that. When I fail, he doesn’t see me as a failure. When I feel alone, I am surrounded by him and his presence. I matter to him. Thank […]
I don’t know what any of this has to do with anything, but I’m under grace and sometimes I am allowed to be pensive. I don’t feel like writing anything insightful, but I am going to confess some feelings lurking. Lucky you, you get to read it! I saw a magnificent tree growing in the […]
In my sermon they let me give last Sunday, I talked about the Kingdom of Grace. Grace is for ME, Grace is for US, and Grace is for THEM. I’m skipping to something I want to share here from the Grace is for US section of that message. Consider this passage: 10 In this is […]
“The secularist, in throwing off the coercion of the law, unwittingly is responding to this need for grace, only to take on a new coercion that completely destroys our very personhood.” I was set to thinking about secular materialist ethics and Christian grace by reading a great post on one of my new favorite sites, […]
My wife Betty, who is the very queen of grace, relayed another of the many stories of God’s manifest kindness in her life the other day. How wonderful to see things work out “on earth as it is in heaven”! She was at the discount store, and was buying something for a friend. Apparently, she […]
I’ve had some time to reflect on this, and it has come to me what was bothering me about Tim Keller’s book “Generous Justice”. Don’t get me wrong, I like the book, and I don’t mean to disrespect pastor Keller at all. I am a guy with no ministry and no following and no published […]
I just finished reading “Generous Justice” by Timothy Keller, and I felt compelled to comment on it here. If you are looking for a book to motivate you to do more work with the poor and less fortunate among us, this might actually be a useful book that you won’t want to throw across the […]
When Jesus was on the cross, suffering and dying, what was He thinking? When He said “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” did He really want to forgive them, or was He just saying that for posterity, while inwardly He secretly hated them for putting Him through all of that? On the […]