Most people know something about the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The core thought that is well known is the concept of helping a total stranger in a time of their great physical need. Think about it, there are laws in place to protect those who engage in helping strangers in case something goes wrong, called “Good Samaritan laws.” There are organizations in place to promote these kinds of acts of brotherly kindness. There are ministries and hospitals that bear this name. As wonderful as all this is, the message Jesus was giving when he spoke this parable is far deeper. The bottom line is, i ..read more

In Part I, we looked into what Jesus really meant when he talked about “hell” and “unquenchable fire.” Gehenna, the Greek word Jesus used for “hell,” describes a valley in which horrible acts of idolatry occurred. God proclaimed this valley would be known as a valley of slaughter, a valley that would symbolize utter destruction. Further, we discovered that when Jesus spoke of “unquenchable fire,” he was referring to Old Testament fires of destruction that would burn until there was nothing left to be consumed. While these realizations take the eternal torture and flames out of the concept of h ..read more

To the critical observer, modern Christianity is confusing as we have countless denominations and their countless ways of interpreting Scripture. These widely varied interpretations give birth to widely varied traditions that support those interpretations. As a major subset of this, we have wide discrepancies regarding the destiny of unbelievers. Several times, Jesus plainly taught about the consequences of hell. The enormous question that needs answering is, did he teach hell was a place of agonizing and eternal torture from which there is no escape, or were his several references to hell poi ..read more

To the critical observer, modern Christianity is confusing as we have countless denominations and their countless ways of interpreting Scripture. These widely varied interpretations give birth to widely varied traditions that support those interpretations. As a major subset of this, we have wide discrepancies regarding the destiny of unbelievers. Several times, Jesus plainly taught about the consequences of hell. The enormous question that needs answering is, did he teach hell was a place of agonizing and eternal torture from which there is no escape, or were his several references to hell poi ..read more

Everyone wants to be heard. Being heard is not only an acknowledgment of our existence but also confirms our value. Being listened to helps us find a place of significance in whatever social order we happen to be engaging in. To be heard – to be truly paid attention to – is to be recognized as the individual you are. Because so much rides on our ability to be heard, how do we enhance that ability? How do we better place ourselves in this position of mutual respect and contribution? Do we speak louder? Do we elevate our passion, or raise our voice or talk faster? Many of us likely have little t ..read more

Everyone wants to be heard. Being heard is not only an acknowledgment of our existence but also confirms our value. Being listened to helps us find a place of significance in whatever social order we happen to be engaging in. To be heard – to be truly paid attention to – is to be recognized as the individual you are. Because so much rides on our ability to be heard, how do we enhance that ability? How do we better place ourselves in this position of mutual respect and contribution? Do we speak louder? Do we elevate our passion, or raise our voice or talk faster? Many of us likely have little t ..read more

Prayer is an incalculably awesome privilege, and yet it is massively misunderstood. Prayer can easily become a ritual, an almost automatic activity like brushing our teeth. We know we need to do it because we know it’s really good for us. So, we do it at what we think are the appropriate times and in the appropriate ways. Prayer can also become a time of wishful thinking, a time when we essentially tell God how our lives could and should look. It can also become a complaining session, a finger pointing session and even a pity party. Wait, let’s take a breath! Prayer is the opportunity and priv ..read more

Habits are BIG! In many ways, habits – whether they are good or bad for us – dominate our lives. The odd thing is we are not even generally aware of how deeply rooted they are and how much control they really have. In Part I of our 2-part habits series, we looked into the habits that define our personal lives, those things we do that may or may not impact those around us. In this episode, we look into the habits that define our public lives, those things we do when others are watching or engaging. The science of habits tells us the human brain is capable of being rewired through our conscious ..read more

Human beings are undeniably creatures of habit. Let me dramatically oversimplify the whole habit thing for a moment to make a point. Habits are formed as tools to bring us comfort, reward and what we believe we want in life. Little kids test this all the time. A child with a very focused mind wants to do things their own way. Instead of listening, they argue and even rebel because doing it their way is what they find the greatest reward in. Another perhaps less stubborn child will fight and argue for their own way and then back off because their parent’s approval or recognition gives them a gr ..read more

As human beings, we all know what it’s like to get fired up about something. We see a circumstance unfold or read about something controversial, or our team wins the game no one thought they could. And we react! We become passionate or energized and feel that adrenaline rush. Suddenly there is no mountain too high or ocean too broad. We’re up for the challenge! Yeah, we all know what that’s like. The question is, is that what having our lives on fire for Christ looks like? Before we get too excited, let’s consider a simple question. What was David referring to when he wrote, “For the zeal of Y ..read more