Last fall (an internet age ago), California Governor Gavin Newsom made headlines when he ate dinner with friends and lobbyists at a Napa Valley restaurant called the French Laundry. Included among the guests at the governor’s soiree were the CEO and the vice president of the California Medical Association. Normally, such an event would not…
One of the “joys” of training to become a soldier in the United States Army is pulling what’s called fireguard duty. The Army used to house soldiers in wooden barracks with wood-burning stoves. So soldiers would rotate shifts through the night to make sure the place didn’t burn down. Even though there’s not so much…
Daniel 9:10-19 For part 1 of this message, click here As authorities are investigating the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, one word keeps coming to mind: anarchy. The word refers to an absence of or rejection of authority. We are learning that those who are extreme rightists1 and extreme leftists2 were responsible…
The old dictum says that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I disagree. A friend is someone who values and honors what I value. An enemy is someone who destroys or debases what I value. It is quite possible for an enemy of my enemy to destroy or debase what I value. The…
My father lost his battle with Covid-19 this week, but as a believer achieved life’s greatest victory. He ran his course faithfully. Two other dear friends also entered heaven’s gates—one (Jo Purdy) had been my secretary for 20 years and the other (Jerry Tetreau) had been my high school principal and later ministry colleague as…
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30 A scribe asked Jesus, Which is the first commandment of all (Mark 12:28)? Most Christians will affirm that they love God?…
It seems in nearly every circle of people I am a part of, there is a palpable anxiousness right now. We are watching things unfold that are frightening. We don’t know who to believe. We are asking ourselves lots of questions…maybe not even uttering them aloud because somehow that seems to make them more viable.…
In response to a question from one of the people in our church, I asked several friends in the ministry for their take. The question was along these lines, “I noticed that X Church across town holds a ‘virtual communion’ with their services. Should we do something like that?” My instinct throughout this crisis is…
Daniel 9:1-10 A Theology of Daniel’s Prayer [Ed. Note: for the video this sermon, see here, audio here.] In a commentary on the news this week, one observer noted, “We’re living right now in a time of rapid and revolutionary cultural change in the United States, and that means not only cultural change but moral…
Riots in June and now riots in January—and there may be more as our nation transfers power from one administration to another. Peaceful protest is a protected right in this country, rioting is not. Let’s set the politics aside and consider the biblical principles for a moment. Religious liberty is clearly under attack in this…