We're addicted to ourselves. If you're not convinced, just log on to Facebook sometime. Facebook is widely known as a narcissistic playground where most people broadcast the best, funniest, and most charming aspects of their lives. It seems that everyone on Facebook appears to have an awesome life, one filled with fun adventures, exciting romances, amazing jobs, cool gadge...

We don't sing very many songs about our mission as a church. It's not our fault--there aren't too many good songs out there on that topic. And, we certainly want our worship to be centered on what God has done, not what we are to do. But, if part of the purpose of singing is to teach and admonish one another (as Colossians 3:16 tells us it is), then we certainly should sin...

Sermons on prayer have a way of disturbing me. I don't think I've ever heard a sermon on prayer that didn't take me beyond conviction to the point of feeling guilty and/or inadequate. I may be a pastor, but I'm not what you call a prayer warrior. I pray, but not intensely. Not fervently. Unless of course I'm terrified of my circumstances. Then I can pray fervently. When d...

Back in 1973 I was suddenly shaken out of my bed in the middle of the night. My first thought was that my college roommate had pulled some kind of prank on me. But when I glanced across the room, there was my roommate, also sitting on the floor, wondering what had happened. Later we would discover that a minor earthquake registering 4.7 on the Richter scale had struck the ...

Long-term commitments are scarce these days. Apparently long-term commitments are also scary. The thought of entering into a marriage relationship "'til death do us part" frightens a lot of people. So the covenant of marriage is often avoided. Many of the vows that are made these days lack the permanence and commitment of former days. But it's not just marriage covenants t...

In a Peanuts cartoon strip Lucy and Linus are staring out the window, watching it rain. The magnitude of the storm impresses Lucy. "Boy! Look at it pour. What if it floods the whole world?" "It won't," Linus assures her. In Genesis 9, God promised Noah that would never happen again. The sign of that promise is the rainbow." Turning back to the window with a big smile on he...

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). At this time of year we are reminded of this wonderful announcement which the angel made to the shepherds on the night of our Savior's birth. There is no sentimentality here. Thi...

a href="http://thousandtongues.bandcamp.com/album/merciful-to-me" data-mce-href="http://thousandtongues.bandcamp.com/album/merciful-to-me"Merciful to Me by Reformed Praise/a Twice in the book of Matthew, Jesus says that those who would follow Him must take up their own crosses (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-28). These are strong words. Jesus was shamed and tortured to death, an...

Remember Candid Camera? The show used hidden cameras to film ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, such as a florist delivering flowers C.O.D. Sometimes trick props were involved, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."In one...

The incident began mid-afternoon on Thanksgiving eve, November 24, 1971, at Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon. A man carrying a black attach case approached the flight counter of Northwest Orient Airlines. He purchased a one-way ticket on Flight 305,a 30-minute trip to Seattle, Washington. Once the plane was airborne, the man called to the flight attendant...