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Fear of Commitment

Fear is something that many people deal with in life.  Fears range from all over the map.  Some fears seem illogical to most, while other fears are very common among many.  Whether it is fear of a physical object like spiders, snakes, cotton balls (yes, this is actually a real thing), or psychological and mental such as being left out, fear of heights, or fearing relationships, these fears can be very crippling to many people. One of the fears I have experienced in my own life, which is probably the fear I have felt most crippled by, would be the fear of committing to change/commitment.  This subject has been brought to my mind many times in the past.  This isn't only relevant as I think about marriage and relationships (though this is what brought this subject back to light), but it also applies to pursuing career opportunities, and really anything that requires changing the status quo of life. When I think through this from a relational stand point, I real...
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Freedom isn't Free

Today I was talking with a friend about a law that was passed in North Carolina.  The law stated that those who are born with male anatomy, must use a men's restroom.  Those born with female anatomy, must use a women's restroom.  As a result, the NBA is threatening to move the All-Star game to a different location.  There are other company's doing the same thing. As we continued talking, we thought about the direction our country is heading.  We don't want to "take away freedom" from anyone, so we pass laws telling people, "you're not allowed to restrict this (or you are required to restrict this)". The irony behind this is that as soon as you allow one person their freedom, you revoke another person from having their freedom.  For example, for those who say they should have the right to use whatever bathroom they feel is right, if given that freedom, it removes the freedom from those who believe male and female genders cannot be changed, and...
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Who is the God of the Bible?

Who is the God of the Bible?  What are His characteristics?  What did He do?  How would you describe His power?  These are questions I pondered, over the past few weeks.  This realization came to me, when I was reading a book called Prayer by Tim Keller.  Keller pointed out that "the power of our prayers, then lies not primarily in our effort and striving, or in any technique, but rather in our knowledge of God."  As I thought about this phrase, it made me wonder a few more questions: how much do I really know about God and Who is this God that I serve?  So I took a moment and thought about who God was in the Bible.  This is what I came up with. God is the God of wrath : God is the one who killed everyone in the world except Noah and his family, because of their sinfulness.  God is the one who released 10 awful plagues, including killing the first born of every family, against the Egyptians for their defiance against His people.  ...
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Loving the True You

Life can be really difficult some times.  I'm not just talking about when someone passes away, or you find out you are diagnosed with cancer, or some other major event happens,  I don't mean to belittle these things, because these can most definitely make things difficult.  What I am talking about is the little things in life that can build up.  In America, we have the tendency to call these things "first world" problems.  What often starts off as a first world problem, can often become something greater.  So often we can believe the self talk that says, I am worthless.  Why am I worthless?  Well, isn't it clear (we tell ourselves)?  I am not a great sports player, or actor, or musician.  I can't get good grades.  I am ugly.  I don't have the newest and greatest technology.  I am just plain old worthless.  I'm ordinary.  I'm not as good as my sibling.  I will never amount to anything.  All of these thin...
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Looking Back on 2014, Looking ahead at 2015

As I reflect on 2014, I think about everything that happened this year.  In my life, in Grand Rapids, in Michigan, the United States, and the world.  Many difficult things, but also many great things.  Whether it was a cruise liner going down, airplanes disappearing, terrorists attacking different countries or babies being born, family members being healed, marriages taking place, I can't help but ask the question, where is God in the mist of this? For many (in some cases myself included), it can be easy to see God in the pleasant times in life.  He is most certainly there.  He is with us in the hospital as we wait for the baby to be born.  He is with us at the alter, when we commit to staying together with that one special person for the rest of our lives. The times when it can be harder to see Him, and we turn against Him, are often the more difficult times in life.  When we look at the social injustices in the world or the evil acts we have seen...
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Learning From The Persecuted Church

I was at home with my family.  We were getting dinner ready.  We were about to sit down, when the front door swung open.  The police came through the front door, headed directly towards me.  They grabbed me, hit me, kicked me.  They threw me on the ground still attacking me.  My children crying standing right next to me.  My wife with our children around her, looked into my eyes, crying, begging the police not to take me.  It was no use.  They took me.  My wife and children following the police still begging them to let me go.  My children crying hysterically not understanding what was going on.  We got to the front door, the police pushing me along.  Cursing at me.  Beating me telling me that I'm a traitor.  Telling me I have broken the law.  Saying that I have harmed national security. We got to their police car.  They threw me in.  Two officers sat next to me on either side, making sure I didn...
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Job's Experience with God

I have never been great when it came to interviews, but of all interviews I have heard of, I think Job 38-40 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038-40&version=NIV ) takes the cake.  This interview makes an interview with Donald Trump look like a piece of cake.  After 35 chapters of going back and fourth with his friends, God comes to Job and talks to him.  What God does not say is "Wow Job, you were right.  You are such a righteous man.  I don't know what got into me.  I don't know why I let you suffer like that.  You went through a lot, you deserve better."  No, not even close.  Instead, God takes a completely different perspective.  What God also doesn't do is go into the conversation lightly.  God basically starts of by calling Job a fool for questioning His decisions without understanding what exactly is going on. After that, he prepares Job's heart for some intense discipline.  God uses a line th...
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