While the structure of a typical CREC worship service has a lot in common with what visitors might call a “traditional worship service”–enough so as to simply be a variation on such services—there are certain elements about it that stand out, and which probably, will draw some questions. The first is the common practice of […]
He Who Doubts
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). The context of this passage is talking about eating meat offered to idols (14:1-22). And Paul’s overall point is that there is nothing wrong with eating meat that has […]
Dabble In It For A Few Minutes
Psalm 119:11 says, “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.” What does it mean to hide God’s work in our heart? I believe that whatever it means, hiding God’s work in our hearts will result in our ability to obey commands like “Rejoice all the time” Phil. […]
Balloon Squish
In my last post, I mentioned what I call the Balloon Squish. I thought I ought to take a minute to explain that term. Two weeks after the party, you decide to clean behind the couch and in the process you find an old balloon. The balloon was full and vibrant two weeks ago, but […]
You Want That Yucky Old Thing Back?
Hi Charlie, I’m sorry to be getting back to you so late. A lot of people think God is twisted and/or drunk. But as I mentioned in my last post, knowing that there’s something wrong proves that something can be wrong. If the alternative to a good God ruling the universe were true, we couldn’t/wouldn’t […]
It Doesn’t Work
The goal of life is to glorify God by walking with him and enjoying him. The problems we have in life are due to our sin or to the sins of others. Problems multiply as we respond to the sins of others in sinful ways. In counseling, we find people who are struggling with life and […]
All The Way Down
Hi again, Cindy, You have quite a story so far. I’m not sure why your other counselor was entertained by it. It appears to be full of tragedy and pain, with none or very little godly success. I would be interested in hearing the story about how you came to believe you are a Christian […]
It’s All About Jesus
Hi Cindy, This is going to sound really strange, but as I was reading your letter I found myself thinking, “this is a really great letter.” It’s great, not because of all the pain and suffering you are experiencing, but because of all the strong desires to run to God, to find shelter in God, […]
Psalm 23
by Lisa Leidenfrost This is such a familiar psalm that I find myself often thinking I know it and can’t gain anything else more from it, but I went over it the other day and did gain more. This psalm uses a lot of metaphors. When you read a metaphor, try putting into your own […]