Back in February, over a dozen men from CCHMB attended the annual Northern California Calvary Chapel Men’s Retreat in the mountains north of Santa Cruz. For those that missed it, or even for those that attended but would like to listen back over the messages, the audio recordings from that weekend are available at Regeneration […]
Let’s Be Radical and Extreme!
Matthew 22:34-40, John 14:15, John 15:9-14, 1 John 3:16, 23 and 4:7-19, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Today, “radicalism” and/or “extremism” have become the buzz words for all that is wrong with religion and politics in this world. In attempting to define religious extremism we are often drawn to the forms of extremism that are easiest to […]
Words Matter
These days we are increasingly held to account for the words we use when addressing others. Words matter and words can hurt. Using a derogatory name or word for someone can intimidate shame, insult, wound, marginalize or in some way diminish another person. You really can’t argue with that. There is so much in the […]
I don’t know, or do I?
It seems to have become fashionable to “not know”. I have recently read many blogs and listened to many interviews with high (And low…) profile Christians who seem to define their faith in terms of what they don’t know or don’t understand. They struggle with their faith publicly in songs, books, blogs, social media and […]
Is your worship of God conditional?
Do not so reduce your definition of worship that it becomes conditional. (I only worship with songs I like, I only worship when I feel good, I only worship when God is blessing me, etc…) Can you pray to God right now and say to Him; “My Lord and Savior, My Creator, My Heavenly Father, […]
Biblically Open-Minded
Recently I was reading a great book by Eric Metaxas called; “Seven Men: And The Secret Of Their Greatness”. One of the men profiled in the book is Karol Wojtyla, also known as Pope John Paul II. There was one passage that caught my attention and helped focus my thinking on a current trend. When […]
If God is love why does He allow suffering?
As I conclude teaching through the book of Job I have run into, and have long before run into, the age old argument; how can a God Who is supposed to love allow innocents to suffer? The problem begins with the question. This question begins with “XYZ” while failing to address “ABC”. Can we solve […]
Science and Religion
Okay, way past time to dust off the blog… Been thinking about this issue while reading a lecture by Dr. (Sir) John Polkinghorne. I like where he started the lecture; “Science has purchased it’s very great success by the modesty of its ambition.” Science and religion are not incompatible at all. Science concerns itself with […]
…phenomena and the Holy Spirit
One of the things that have occupied the religious media’s attention recently has been the rise and fall of Todd Bentley. While we pray for restoration for his life and marriage what is not being looked at is the reason for his popularity. For years, decades really, the Pentecostal wing of the Body of Christ […]
Why the Blog…
A lot of people asked me if I was going to do a blog. I never really gave it any thought, just one more thing to fill my already full plate. But after a number of email conversations on a variety of theological issues with folks in my Church, and assorted friends, I decided that […]