Worthy Words

Even those who reject the idea of God and religion cannot reject the truth that God has placed in each of our hearts. We all have a built-in understanding of right and wrong, of truth and error; God has made certain truths self-evident. Though many people try to deny the clues about his existence that he has scattered throughout the universe, they cannot deny the intrinsic understanding of right and wrong that we all have. The existence of God can't be proved or disproved scientifically, but God has left clues about himself in the universe — and anyone who wants to find them can. This is a conclusion that everyone must reach on their own — there is no possible way that I or anyone could ever convince you that there is a God. And, if you're objective about it, there's no possible way that atheist Richard Dawkins could convince you that there isn't. That kind of evidence simply doesn't exist. But God has left his mark on each individual so that they can know him if t...

The church is not just "about Sunday" — we don't exist simply for our services and programs and to maintain our building. Jesus told us to go into the world and make disciples. Here's where the church has dropped the ball. Instead of employing his "go and do something" strategy, we've settled for a “come and see” appeal. We've said, “Here we are. Here's our building. Here's an entertaining worship service. We have a great band and flashy graphics on a big screen and a compelling preacher — So come and see us.” Our Sunday services are important, but that's not all there is to it. We are called to serve others: this community and the world around us. We're called to live for Jesus. What defines Living for Jesus people? A Living for Jesus church is made of ministering people. That means it's made up of willing servants consumed with the desire to minister to others. When enough of us capture the living for Jesus mindset, it influence...

It's a lot easier to persuade people to hate Billy Graham than it is to get them to believe that they are saved through faith in Christ. There are many who want to focus almost exclusively on political issues — who all but equate Christian living with a specific political affiliation — and this is not the heart and soul of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The heart and soul of the gospel of Jesus Christ is this: You become righteous through faith. That means you are saved through faith. That means you find life in God through faith. The Christian life is first and foremost a life of faith. If you grew up in the church, especially the evangelical church, you have undoubtedly heard this all your life. You can probably repeat these words from memory: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) We are saved by faith. We've heard it enough that ...

There was an old pop song written back in the day that said, “I've done everything for you — you’ve done nothing for me.” That's the way some people sum up their relationships. They remember everything they give— they forget everything they've received. Sometimes we have a tendency to do this with God. I’ve heard people say to me that God demands everything and gives nothing in return. This is why in Micah 6:1 God invites us to "make a case" against him. “O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me?   Answer me!” (Micah 6:3) God knows that if you are honest in your case-making, you will discover that he has given more to you than you could ever possibly give in return. In verse four, God gives the children of Israel a gentle reminder. He says: I brought you out of Egypt. I redeemed you. I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to help you. And in verse five God lays it all out in the open. “I did everything I could to teach you abo...