Category: New Beginnings

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17 I’m […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Today’s one of those days that helps me see there’s something bigger going on. Sometime this afternoon some books will arrive. I’ll get to see, for the first time, actual physical copies of the new book. For me, that’s a big deal, but it’s not an isolated event. Thirteen years ago it took me nearly […]

Continue readingMore Tag

No, it’s not. If it was fair, millions of people wouldn’t lack access to clean water while I leave the faucet running. If it was fair, kids in one part of the world wouldn’t walk miles for the chance at a basic education while students cut class at the modern, high-tech high school up the […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Our small group has been working through Mark’s Gospel, verse by verse, for several months. I keep learning how much I miss in apparently familiar stories. This week we looked at the story in which Jesus heals a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. I’ve read and heard this text many times and never noticed four words […]

Continue readingMore Tag

My dad had a lot of “sayings.” He seemed to have an adage for nearly any circumstance. Most were funny, many weren’t suitable for this blog or any other polite company. One of his favorites was “pouring perfume on a pig.” After he retired, Dad once served as an expert witness for an attorney in a […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Yesterday I told you about my personalized version of the bible. I think God speaks to me through RUV—Rich’s Unstandard Version. Sometimes He uses the RUV to help me see the big picture, put things in context, and see more than just one isolated verse. That happened the other night when our small group looked […]

Continue readingMore Tag

I have this personal version of the bible. It’s called RUV—Rich’s Unstandard Version. Occasionally I encounter a conversation with Jesus in RUV when I’m trying to make sense of words from the real bible. Jesus and His friends are hanging out around a fire. Peter leans over and says, “Don’t you ever get tired of […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Do you ever wonder why God used such a convoluted process to produce the bible? God’s not a very efficient publisher. It seems to me that He could have revealed Himself in a much less complicated manner. Why did He use multiple authors over thousands of years, writing obscure, fragile manuscripts in ancient languages? Why […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Our pastor said something curious this weekend. Bad things are often done by people who think they’re doing the right thing. At first it seemed like a simple statement, but I thought about it a little more while I was cranking my bike Monday afternoon. How often do I do that? How often am I […]

Continue readingMore Tag

Who are you? I’m a writer. I’m a speaker. I’m a husband. I’m an old guy who rides a handcycle. I’m a quadriplegic, a guy in a wheelchair. I’m a guy who’s planning a new adventure: Florida Hope Tour 2013. Of course, none of those has anything to do with who I am. As a […]

Continue readingMore Tag

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Mark 9:50 Some not-so-random reflections: This weekend I think I missed most of the point of a sermon. The teaching dealt with the last verses of Mark 9 […]

Continue readingMore Tag

An obvious question follows my two previous posts. (Afraid Of God? and Does God Punish?) If we reduce fear of punishment, won’t people do all sorts of crazy things? Can we have accountability without fear of punishment? Of course a broken world needs laws to regulate behavior. Society can’t function without at least minimal limits […]

Continue readingMore Tag