Faith is a habit. Have you heard that before? Often we think of faith as something we have or don’t have in the sense of being either a Christian or a non-Christian. But Lewis says we “must train the habit of Faith,” in the reading for September 18 in A Year with C.S. Lewis. His point…
The reason David knew God so well was because he was constantly under attack either by God’s people or God’s enemies. You see, David actually needed God. David’s life was one storm/battle after the other. If he wasn’t dealing with external enemies he was dealing with his internal demons. David had a target on his…
Letter 7 Themes: Materialism (evolutionary thinking), skepticism, belief in demons; factions and cliques; spiritual distraction through social causes, movements, or policies. Letter 8 Themes: Ups and downs of spiritual life; growing during the dry times; the walk of faith and obedience. Letter 9 Themes: Spiritually dry times; sensual temptations during these times; the enticements and…
Letter 4 Themes: The subtle attacks against prayer life; the implications of not seeing God directly in prayer. Letter 5 Themes: Fear, anguish, despair; war, suffering; contented worldliness; growth through suffering; faith. Letter 6 Themes: Fear, anxiety worry, suspense about the future; faith trust; prayer; revenge, anger; apathy.
“I have no clue what that means,” I thought to myself! I was in our weekly Sermon Club where all of our church staff listens to the theme of an upcoming message and collectively provides their input and perspective on the proposed message. One of our Elders, “Bear” (that is such a cool nickname), was…
The following is an excerpt from the epilogue of the book, A Time to Kill, a Time to Heal by Roger Helle. The title reflects the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. * * * I was in the operating room. Internal bleeding had caused the doctor to rush me to surgery at the Ninety-fifth Evacuation Hospital…
The following is an excerpt from the book, A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal by Roger Helle. The book includes stories about the effort of Vietnam military veterans who help the people of Vietnam after the war, and the efforts to support the underground church in a country that attempts to stop the…
“So, are you laying out a fleece on that course of action?” While I understood the question, several of the guys around me had confused looks on their faces. It became a “teachable moment” as I shared the story of Gideon laying out a fleece (sheep skin) as he asked God to confirm His call…
Few things are more uncomfortable than holding a conviction when the world seems hell-bent on sweeping it aside. It’s easy to blend in, to nod along, and to prioritize comfort over conscience. But history tells us a reoccurring truth: nearly every generation faces a moment where silence equates to surrender; where comfort breeds complicity. The…
God delights in showing Himself mighty in hopeless situations on our behalf. As our vans rolled down the rugged highway in Vietnam, the sun shone brightly, and the temperature hovered around 100 degrees. Vietnam has two seasons: hot and wet! This was my 14th trip since first returning after the war in 1989. Once again,…