Half Empty or Half Full?
Published November 25, 2012Most of us are familiar with a common illustration of attitude where an individual is asked how he sees a drinking glass with water in it. “How much water is in the glass?” Some will say that it is “half full,” while others might say that it is “half empty.” Your answer is indicative of your personal mental attitude about the current state of affairs. Although there are probably other answers to the question of how much water is in the drinking glass, the point is well taken that each of us has an attitude about the way things are. [...]
read moreSloppy Agape
Published July 22, 2012There’s a false understanding moving through our American churches these days that “Christian” and “Christianity” always means nice, kind, loving and willing to take any insult with a smile. This has been called “sloppy agape” in years past. The phrase was coined from one of the Greek words for love: agape. And indeed, agape is the high form of love. It’s self-giving love, and it takes it’s meaning from God’s love in Christ where Jesus died in our place on Calvary’s Cross. But, agape is not cheap, nor is it so packed with feelings that it misses the truth. There’s [...]
read moreEaster Then and Now
Published April 18, 2011As Easter approaches, I’m reminded of a snapshot from my childhood. In the photograph, my sister and mother and I are all wearing new dresses, hats, and gloves. My brother and father are attired in their best suits and wearing a tie. We’re all dressed up in our brand new Sunday finest, ready to go to church on Easter Sunday. When I was growing up, my family was largely “Holiday Christians”. We always attended church on the big holidays – Christmas and Easter – but didn’t make it a point to attend every other Sunday of the year. I didn’t [...]
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