Reflections on a World Without Sports

It’s over. America’s sportsless drought is over. We’ve gone months without professional team sports and it’s finally over. Sports are back. As an avid sports fan, I am thrilled. When 2020 did its thing and canceled sports I was devastated. In the month of March alone, I had tickets for 3 different basketball games. I … Read more

Inspired to Conspire

2020 is already the oddest and most surprising year of my life. Personally, it’s been filled with news and events I was not expecting (most of which was good) and then obviously the onset of SARS-CoV-2 and the ensuing global reaction have truly been historic regardless of what happens. One of the surprising side effects … Read more

How Much Is A Life Worth?

Have you ever thought about how much a person would sell for? Have you considered in dollar amounts what you would pay for a human being? If we’re ever going to resume normalcy then we have to figure out the answer to the question posed in the title of this post: how much is a … Read more

Speaking Rightly of God

The book of Job is best known for Job’s patience in enduring a multitude of difficult trials. The destruction of his property to the death of his children to his being inflicted with a skin disease and finally to the harsh rebukes from his friends. In the end, Job remains faithful to God (after God … Read more

Strong-Willed Child or Weak-Willed Parent?

Anyone who has been around someone who is the parent of a child has heard the term strong-willed child. It should identify a child who is unusually resistant to usually effective discipline. This child laughs at a spanking and scoffs when their parent takes away privileges. He or she is so dead set on their … Read more

Unforgiving Attack Dogs

The National Football League recently decided to honor former quarterback Mike Vick by making him an honorary captain in the league’s annual Pro Bowl. Vick was undoubtedly one of the most electrifying players the NFL has ever seen. His speed, elusiveness, and arm caused a lot of problems for opposing teams. Vick, on the other … Read more

Supported by the Public

Asking for a raise is one of the most intimidating aspects of being employed. An employee subjects themselves to an evaluation of their worth in hopes of garnishing an increase in wages. The wages are ultimately derived from the owner of the company, so the employee isn’t merely asking for more money out of a … Read more

Rebuke, Reprove, Recycle

The internet has proven to be a resource for Christians. It is a good resource for history, commentaries from sound Bible interpreters, answers to difficult questions, and information regarding the contents of the 66 books of God’s Word. It’s also a resource for bad information, wrong answers, and seemingly unloving people professing to have (and … Read more

Brown Journalism

This past week we witnessed one of the ugliest instances of “journalism” I have ever seen. A young man from Iowa stumbled into raising over a million dollars for a children’s hospital in his home state. It’s the same hospital that overlooks the University of Iowa’s football stadium. The same hospital that gets waved to … Read more

Good Reputations

This past Sunday two men were up to be affirmed as new elders of our church. As our senior pastor read through the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 I was struck by the last trait listed in the first paragraph: 1 Timothy 3:7 (NASB) And he must have a good reputation with those outside … Read more

Outsourcing Discipleship

In the secular world, teachers notice a difference between kids whose parents are active in the education of their children and kids who have parents who assume no role in that arena. The teacher can be brilliant in their understanding of the material, exceptionally gifted at communicating information to their given audience, and highly motivated … Read more

Choked Out by Thorns

In the fourth chapter of his Gospel, Mark records the Parable of the Sower as told by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One of the seeds is immediately gobbled up by birds (Mark 4:4), the next seed quickly grows in rocky soil but eventually withers away (Mark 4:5-6), the third seed falls in thorns, … Read more