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We are celebrating the International Day for Children and Youth by taking a few minutes to examine the story of how one group of young people decided to respond to a difficult situation.

When the big …

People tend to confuse "justice" with just getting what they want. What do most people want? To hurt people who hurt them. Is embracing the idea of retribution going to help us attain justice?

Today w…

Paul is losing his life of freedom and privilege. And he's threatened with losing his life altogether! But somehow he is going to respond to all that as if it is meaningless. It's like he's got some …

Easter eggs are hidden in movies, on purpose or by accident, to give thoughtful viewers something to find and think about, or something to notice and wonder about. Scripture is rife with the same kin…

A long time ago, when I was in a customer service job, there was one annoying and mistaken client who, after long minutes of berating me for a problem of his own making, said, "If you don't do what I…

What group or groups do you belong to? How does that set you apart or make you special? 

Now ask yourself why you think that makes you better than people who are not part of those groups. No, don't ge…

Accusations of wrongdoing, a brutal assault on the one being accused, and his arrest without cause or charges having been considered...

This is the story we are diving into today. And it's one that sh…

The great thinkers in each group were utterly baffled as to how anyone could see things in a different way. But the two groups reached opposite conclusions about many things! There was a distinct tur…

Have you ever been certain of a thing but someone you know is absolutely convinced that you are wrong?
Have you ever wondered how people can be so foolish as to believe, follow, or be so moved by a pa…

If you thought it was the last time you were going to see beloved friends, what would you say to them? And why? What would you want to remind them of or warn them about?

Paul, sailing past his former …

There's a lot of humor and happiness in the story of Jonah that we tell to kids. But we can't get there unless we leave out a lot of anger, hatred, bitterness, and stubborn pride. This is a story abo…

There was one Christmas message I preached when I first started as a full-time pastor to adults that ran about an hour. There was so much good material, I wanted to share it all! But as I spoke I cou…

Have you ever thought that if you offered the right prayer in the right way that God would do what you asked? There's a word for that. Magic. Magic was a way to control the gods or the elements or ot…

When he went back to Ephesus, Paul spent three months preaching in the synagogue. One commentary notes, "Three months in a synagogue without a riot is something of a record for Paul." Which is kind o…

When you get a gift, do you ever have that urge to give something of equal or greater value back? Either out of gratitude or from some twisted desire to avoid some perceived "gift deficit" where you …

I want to give you a gift. Well, it's not from me. it's from God. You know, the LORD? YHVH? Our Creator? Yeah, he has this really important and, dare I say, intimate gift he wants us all to have. But…

We three kings from orient are...
Not from the orient.
We three kings...
No, not kings either.
We three...
Well, maybe, but probably not.

Properly considered, the story of the Magi isn't even part of the b…

It's the wee hours of the night and you are wakened by a commotion outside. What's going on? Then, a knock at your door - more of a pounding, really. You open to find a man, caked with dirt, smelling…