If you’ve lived in various geographical regions of the US, you’ll know that each region has its own jargon. For example, when a Texan is going to take some time to take care of some personal business he might call that activity “rat killin’.” When we lived in Arkansas, the locals didn’t kill rats, the…
Month: June 2009
The Older Brother
I love the story of the prodigal son. I think it describes the incredible love that our heavenly Father lavishes over us. The extent of the patience that he shows prodigals in amazing. Even though there is a marvelous reunion, the story continues. Luke 15:25-32 introduces another brother to the stage. He was the oldest…
The Prodigal Son
This past weekend I completed the God Series with one of Jesus’ most familiar stories — the story of the prodigal son. I think one of the reasons this story is so popular is because we all identify to some extent with the poor decisions and lack of judgment made by the prodigal. But the…
How the Mighty Fall
I don’t regularly read business management books. I do enjoy a few business authors and follow their work. One of those authors is Jim Collins. Collins, who penned Built to Last and Good to Great, has recently published a new work that I’ve recently completed titled How the Mighty Fall. In Appendix 5 of How…
The Trinity (Part 2)
Yesterday I blogged about what we could confidently affirm from Scripture concerning the Trinity. Today the question amounts to what does it really matter? What’s the purpose of thinking about the Trinity? How does this add value to my Christian experience? I believe that love is the essence of God. It is the foremost of…
The Trinity (Part 1)
Last weekend I spoke on the Trinity. I’ve been amazed at the rising level of interest on this doctrine, particularly among younger adults. This fascination has escalated with the publication of The Shack by William Young. Many within our congregation have asked for an opinion on the book. I confess I enjoyed The Shack, and…
When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Part 3)
Today is the conclusion to a three part post titled “When God Doesn’t Make Sense,” from Isaiah 55:8-13. To hear the podcast of the sermon visit www.ashworthroad.com. While his purposes may remain a mystery to us, God’s purposes are designed to bring growth into our lives (Isaiah 55:12). In verse 12, Isaiah points out joy,…
What I’m Reading
When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Part 2)
Yesterday I began sharing some insights from Isaiah 55 that came from last weekend’s message. I’ll do two more today. Observation three is that God’s purposes are not immediately known or easily perceived (Isaiah 55:10). I’ve read this verse many times, but only recently noticed that the verse contains three interdependent and interrelated cycles. The…
When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Part 1)
Why? In my experience there are two kinds of people who ask the question “why?” The first is the learner. No one illustrates this better than a child. When our children were small I sometimes thought they were going to wear me out with their incessant inquisitions. Students who excel are not satisfied to know…