Serious About Scripture

Mentoring and motivating Christ’s people to live his words

Seriousness In Children and Teens

It is increasingly obvious that children and young people in many evangelical churches are anything but serious about Christ. There are notable exceptions, but in many churches a cursory look at the behavioral signals put out by the young people reveal a profound disinterest. On the one hand there is a sort of giddiness and silliness by some who believe that church is there only to provide them a place for enjoying friends and impressing the opposite sex. On the…

We Need the Spirit

We Need the Spirit The Holy Spirit “came upon” individual disciples in the New Testament, giving them great power most notably in the effectiveness of their speech. The Spirit also “filled” believers multiple times with the same effect. This is especially seen in the repeated experience of Peter in Acts. These are two ways of saying the same thing. We should think of “filled” as being overcome or dominated by the Spirit. Paul instructed the Ephesians like this: “Do not…

Here’s the Skinny on Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is another name for Mardis Gras, the raucous annual parade and party held in the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana. The tradition is many centuries old and was originally known as Carnival. It is held in various places around the world under different names. Mardis Gras (or Fat Tuesday) is the American version. Carnival comes from a combination of Latin words meaning “farewell to the flesh.” There is a great deal of irony in that name because Fat…

Imagine This: God’s Astonishing Thoughts About You

Imagine God planning the universe, intending to make the field of his great interest the world he would make. He envisioned establishing a kingdom for His Son, and in his own mind he populated that kingdom with people of his own choice to become his adopted children through the Son for the praise of his glorious grace. You are among those he chose to bless in Christ who would redeem you, forgiving every sin you would ever commit, making you…