Jeremy Riley: In a few words

Christianity is a religion that is filled with tension.  Creation is essentially good (see Genesis 1 and 2), yet existentially strained (see Genesis 3).  Jesus is fully God, yet fully man at the same time.  The Kingdom of God is here, but not yet.   Ross Douthat brings out a lot of this tension in [...]

What do you fear? Do you fear commitment? How about spiders? Perhaps it’s failure? I can tell you what I fear, I fear starting. If you have ever had a dream, some unfulfilled vision, then my friends, Jon Acuff’s book START might be up your alley. If you have ever wanted to do something exceptional, [...]

This month, Wisdom Wednesdays will veer into the rise of Fundamentalism.  There will be some historical exploration in addition to a closing “so what” moment at the end tying things together.  Stay with the series though for the epic conclusion: Why I’m Not A Fundamentalist. —————————- The early parts of the Twentieth Century was very chaotic [...]

“You are not yet who you are supposed to be.” Phew!  What a relief.   Are you stuck with labels given to you justly or unjustly?  Perhaps you have been called a loser, loner, liar, or loon.  Well, I have something to tell you: Craig Groeschel has some good news for you!  God knows who [...]

Many people who have heard the name Francis of Assisi associates the man with the phrase, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”  I heard this phrase many times in my undergrad education and decided to adopt it for a period of time.  I thought it was brilliant and that it captured [...]

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.   (Philippians 4:8)   I once took a class in undergrad called “Beauty and the Christian Life.”  It really [...]

“The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant” is a pilgrim tale. It’s a tale designed for people who want to go places and make their life count. This tale centers around the journey of a grandfather (Antonio) and his grandson (Julio), with the life lessons that come about during this time. Antonio brought his [...]

The master of stopping the spin, Bill O’Reilly, made the statement on his show recently that Christianity was not a religion but was a philosophy.  Previously I have corrected dear Evangelical friends who would state that Christianity was not a religion but was only a relationship.  So for the purposes of this post, I think [...]

‘On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789, as an official holiday of “sincere and humble thanks.” The nation then celebrated its first Thanksgiving under its new Constitution. On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln made the traditional Thanksgiving celebration a nationwide holiday to be commemorated each year on [...]

That time of year is upon us. Political signs are coming down, decorations are going up soon, and Costco is being stocked with Christmas supplies (Ok, Costco was stocked with Christmas items in August).  Yes, yes, the nation’s eye is turning from the election to Thanksgiving, and quite frankly, I’m glad that this is our [...]