A good friend is a regular reader of my daily meditations, and she observed that 9 times out of 10, I am down on myself or highlighting an area of weakness in my relationship to God – especially in the prayer. She sometimes wondered whether I was on the edge of depression, or struggling with…
Author: Norm
among us it will be different
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. [Matthew 20:25-26] In this chapter we experience (again) the contrary ways of God. How does God operate? Not like us!!!
just what the doctor ordered!
Even though we may get frustrated with some (or all) of the foibles and failings of our local church, here is a good reminder that it might be “just what the Doctor ordered!” For all of its foibles—lousy preaching, political infighting, self-centered focus, stagnation, a gaggle of special interest groups—the pokey local church…is still the…
love goes deeper than law
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. [Matthew 19:8] Did Jesus just say that what Moses permitted in the old covenant law regarding divorce was NOT what God originally intended? Should we not say, rather, that God permitted…
new logo for crossroads
Not sure if you saw this yet, or realized it was different. The changes are small, but significant.
descending into greatness
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 18 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew 18:4] Who will occupy the highest positions of authority in God’s restored world order? Who will be the most important, the ones in Jesus’ inner circle? This question, as well as Peter’s question about…
renewable membership?
So here I am, thinking about a whacky idea (or is it???), and I figure that I should get some feedback from you. Here is the idea: what if church membership had to be renewed every year? I grew up in a tradition that tied church membership to salvation. You did not just commit yourself…
when Jesus questions my faith
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 17 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” [Matthew 17:20] How do we measure faith? It is not…
wedding oops
This is funny, in a sad kind of way. My guess is that he’s not the BEST man anymore…
family-friendly churches?
I found this great discussion at internetmonk.com. There is some great feedback in the comments that follow. How can families with young children have a continuing participation in church life? Is it impossible? Should they worship as a family? Should one parent go with older children? How can churches make this time more manageable for…