Why in the World Are We Doing This? We had gotten up at an unearthly hour to catch the plane for the long trip to the Dominican Republic. We were the advance group making the arrangements for our 160 NPUC youth and adults that would be participating in the Las Americas para Cristo, ... Read more
Exercising Faith Some years ago I registered with my friend Roger for a mini-triathlon. While the biking and jogging seemed doable, the swimming scared me. It felt as if I’d be attempting to cross the Grand Canyon on a pogo stick. Read more
Placing the Crucifixion on Hold Jesus was dying on the cross in the most mentally and physically excruciating ordeal any man has ever experienced. Our English word “excruciating” comes from the Latin word meaning “out of the cross.” For hours prior to that event Jesus had been t... Read more
Playboy Bunnies and Stewardship It was a get-rich-quick scheme. Because our newly-planted church family always struggled to meet expenses, one board member suggested, “We have got to figure out how to pay our bills. So why not sell tickets to a church service? We can do it on Sa... Read more
In the Military and Lonely I heard something on the news the other day that touched my heart. The reporters were talking to some of our troops who had been deployed to the Middle East. One soldier had letters from his wife, another from his girlfriends but a third hadn’t re... Read more
Under the Influence “Karl, let’s go bungee jumping,” some kids from my summer day camp urged. Read more
Should New Converts Take The Bible Seriously? Something happened a few Sabbaths ago that reminded me how important simple belief in the Bible is to our efforts at personal evangelism. It may also be an important factor in the faith of our more “veteran” members.A visiting friend of mine state... Read more
Me, Witness? When I hear the word “witnessing,” I think of Bible-thumping, street-chanting, in-your-face-or-I’ll-beat-ya-black-n-blue holy rollers. Read more
Sick and Wired I felt like I’d been dragged through a carwash of Brillo pads drenched in battery acid. Every part of my body ached, including the skin on my elbow where Tubba, a buddy of mine in fifth grade, said that humans have no feelings. A high fever, swoll... Read more