Blog

Feb. 5, 2021

Plugging the leaks that reduce our impact for God (and joy in God)

My in-laws former house was a registered historic landmark – a large, stately three story rich, in history.  It was a great place to visit, but a lousy place to get a relaxing shower.  My shower would change from a torrent to a trick…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Did Jesus do all things with excellence? (Yes, but his followers CANNOT)

Did Jesus do all things well? The apostle Mark reports this reaction from those who followed Jesus: “They were utterly astonished, saying, ‘He has done all things well’” (Mark 7:37). What Jesus did, He did A-plus well. B…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Why can't you love both God and money? (same reason you can't take momma on your honeymoon)

My childhood friend and and college roommate got married the summer he graduated.  As his best man, I got an inside peek behind the scenes.  And one scene stands out in 3-D clarity from that weekend.  The rehearsal, groom’s dinn…

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Feb. 5, 2021

"Oligopistos" ("Little-faith")

Oligopistos.   It’s Greek to me.  Precisely.   Jesus took two Greek words and coined a new word by joining them together.  Oligos means little or few.  Pistos means faith&nb…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Is there such a thing as "Righteous Indignation?" (I'm gonna' go with ..."No.")

The Annual Darwin Awards are given each year, saluting those whose actions demonstrate that the human genome is not always improving.  One such Darwin Award nominee are five inebriated Michigan men and a hunting dog who, intendin…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Jesus' Parable of the Sower and the Seed (how many "soils" are "saved?")

The parable of the soils is repeated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke – one of seven recorded parables picked up by all three writers.  It is also unique in that, while most parables are simple stories with one central point and few details, Je…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Was Jesus "Minnesota Nice?" (and are we, his followers, not direct enough in sharpening each other)

So, you are in St. Paul working under your car and checking out the hole in your tailpipe when the jack slips and the car comes down, pinning your leg under the wheel.  Hearing the noise from his yard next door, your neighbor shuffles over and …

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Feb. 5, 2021

God's Tumbler (how God polishes the lines of character into our lives)

My childhood friend, Kevin, was always filling his pockets with stones. Back in his room, he placed these stones, some water, and a dash of “mystery ingredient” into a contraption on his dresser. Almost four decades later, I can still he…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Maybe Pigs CAN Fly! (Our struggle to follow Jesus may be a problem of 'user error')

My son Drew received a pile of money for Christmas when he was ten. He had seen the advertisements running on television, so he went to the mall and plopped down nearly the whole wad of cash on an Air Hog plane. I mean, how could he miss? This is wh…

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Feb. 5, 2021

Dutch Blitz or Jesus' Yoke? (A question for frantic people where life is wearing us out)

Have you ever played Dutch Blitz? In Dutch Blitz, the purpose is to unload all your cards as fast as you can by laying them in ascending numerical order on any players discard piles in the middle. The goal is to see how fast you can empty your hand.…

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