True or false? If God is absolutely for you, your children will turn out good. False! There was a time when I was a youth pastor, I judged the parents of some of the rebellious teenagers as ungodly or incompetent. I thought, naively and wrongly, that if parents were godly and raised up their children properly, […]

Exodus 8:15–But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.  For all us, the fight to be consistent may be the most “telling thing” about our brokenness from sin.  Having a proper view of ourselves as sinners saved by grace is important, because it informs us of […]

Luke 8:24-25–And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” … Where is God?  This is the question of our hearts when circumstances are more overwhelming than His presence…In the […]

Would you let your parents choose a mate for you? I know it is laughable, but in biblical times, that is often how a mate was chosen. The times that a young man chose his own mate, he usually chose wrong. When Isaac was of marrigeable age, his father, Abraham, chooses his wife for him (Gen. […]

I don’t know how many times I’ve read it, but I’m still shocked that God has asked Abraham to sacrifice his precious son in Genesis 22! Knowing that Isaac mattered to him more than anything else, God asks him to sacrifice him…!As a pastor, I’m always careful asking people for money because I know money […]

Exodus 2:11-12–One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people andlooked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.  12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.  We see Moses having […]

I must confess that it is easy to throw mud at America for all its failures. Not only what she does to herself, but also how she influences (badly) the rest of the world. However, I must ask how often we pray on behalf of our country, standing between her and God’s wrath… Abraham stands between […]

Philippians 4:9–What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. The well known phrase “more is caught than taught” is a simple lesson, but truly a humbling task to fulfill.  Think about how we teach, discipline, or give advice to people out of genuine concern, compared to the […]

I have several roles I’m fulfilling, two of which are teacher and son. I am a math teacher at a high school. I am also a son to my parents. However, those two roles are very different. Namely, one is conditional, and the other is not. My being a teacher is conditional upon my performance. I […]

These are some dark days. How are you doing? If I’m struggling, you must be as well… I read these encouraging words this morning: “Do not be afraid, Abram.I am your shield;your reward will be very great.”Genesis 15:1-3At first, I thought, “But those are words to Abraham and not me!” But I thought about why these words […]