Life This Side of Heaven

Having sinned, and now staring at each other, Adam and Eve could see something horrifying and dangerous that wasn’t there before – guilt and shame. As a result, they hid from God. They were truly "na…

It’s become common in recent years to strike out against God’s Word, and specifically the account of creation in Genesis and this term "helper," as the source for a culture which demeans women, casts…

Here in Mark, Jesus talks about being... salty. In love, Jesus pointed out the necessity of ongoing repentance and self-discipline. It’s like having salt rubbed into an open sore. It stings – like i…

It may raise our eyebrows to hear James, and Peter, encouraging us to "cover over a multitude of sins.”  But, doesn’t that sound like simply hiding the problem?  Is James really saying that by doing …

“Same old, same old.” Have you ever heard that phrase? In Numbers, Moses describes for us a case of “same old, same old” among the complaining people of Israel. In love, God showed them that it's goo…

Do you remember your first time on the monkey bars when you were a kid?  Monkey bars consist of a frame with evenly placed steel rungs on which kids can swing from one bar to the next – much the way …

Do you aspire to be …a GOAT? Apparently, this was an ongoing debate among the disciples. And when our pride kicks in, chances are we my find ourselves caught up in this debate from time-to-time. In l…

When Jesus told the disciples about His coming suffering and crucifixion, it would have be hard not to understand what He said. If they had any questions they knew they were free to ask Him about it …

In Psalm 31, David's phrase describing God's ‘shining face’ may sound more like a happy parent cradling their newborn in their arms, or a parent beaming with pride at their child’s piano recital. And…

What do you do when things seem to get worse, not better? Where do you go when the situation you’re facing looks bleaker, not brighter? At times like, while it's tempting to focus on the weakness of…