On Christmas morning our whole family gathered in the living room to open presents. By long tradition Nick picks out the gifts under the tree and arranges them in piles by each person. We then take turns opening one present at a time. This year that took a little while because there were seven of us–Ray, Marlene, Josh, Leah, Mark, Vanessa, Ni…
In November John Piper visited Angola Prison in Louisiana. Long considered one of the most violent prisons in America, it has been transformed in recent years under the leadership of Warden Burl Cain. His motto is, “I will be as nice as they let me, as mean as they make me be.” You can read more about what God is doing at Angola Prison …
I had breakfast with a friend who told me that working in the church is like “moving the elephant.” He explained that moving an elephant can be quite difficult, especially if the elephant doesn’t want to be moved. You can get in front and pull on the trunk or you can stand behind and push with all your might. Eventually if you pul…
A wise man gave me some advice on how to make good decisions:Don’t ask, “Lord, what do want me to do?” or “Where do you want me to go?"Instead you should ask, “Who do you want me to go with?"Most of the time the “who” matters more than the “what” or the “where.” Not that …
On Sunday Brit Hume made headlines when he said that Tiger Woods needs to convert from Buddhism to Christianity because Buddhism doesn’t offer forgiveness and redemption from sin. As a simple statement of fact, that happens to be entirely correct. Buddhists don’t believe in “sin” in the sense that “all have sinned and …
Check out this clip featuring Brit Hume on “The O’Reilly Factor” last night. Brit flat lays down some seriously good theology regarding conversion, redemption, and the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.Stay tuned to the part at the end where he comments in passing on how the name of Jesus always stirs up controversy. It was true…
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).How much can God do in 2010?The answer is, no one knows because no one has ever come to the end of God’s infinite ability.It is not our prayers that mark his ability. He can do far more tha…
On Christmas Day 1939, King George VI of England gave a brief radio address to his troubled nation. England was already at war with Germany. Soon all of Europe would be plunged into the horror of brutal, unrestrained warfare. Hoping to calm the troubled hearts of his countrymen, the king offered words of encouragement as the storm clouds gathered o…
That’s how many miles I’ve ridden on my bike this year. A little while ago I made my final ride, an 11-mile trip to the Natchez Trace and back again. I suppose nearly all my rides this year have been along that route, mostly because the roads are mostly free from traffic. I run into a little bit on Chesterville Road, but when I turn lef…
At long last we’ve made it to the end of 2009. Not triumphantly perhaps, but we’ve made it. So how did you do these last twelve months? What kind of year did you have?Probably your year was a lot like mine. Some great victories, some surprising defeats, and a few “no decisions” along the way.Maybe you had one of those years …