To Be an ‘e.g.’ or Not an ‘e.g.’ 

This morning I had to use a very familiar abbreviation, e.g., as a way to give an illustration of what I meant.  “e.g.” from the Latin, exempli gratia, literally means ‘for the sake of an example’ or more closely ‘I hope this illustration is gracious in its explanation.’  I was using it to explain how we can move from personal aggravations to keeping our selves focused on our real purpose.  When the world around us throws us curves, it’s so…

It’s All About Resting Places 

It was April 1978 when a group of believers from All Saints Church were led by faith in the Lord Jesus and a word of knowledge, through the Spirit, understood by 25 families, to start a mission in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville.  Within the first year, after meeting in a storefront, a steel building was erected to become All Souls Church worship center.  Every Sunday was an exciting experience.  From the first worship meetings, where we brought…

What Have We Been Designed For?

I might have mentioned this little vignette before, but it’s worth repeating.  Many years ago, I knew a family that wanted to build a house that fit who they were.  It was a family that had a beach house on the Gulf and spent a lot time there.  I would fish occasionally with one of their sons and dive for scallops out in the shallow weed circled sand beds where those tasty delicacies thrived. 

 They were a unique family with outdoor interests and…

Psalm 132  Moving into Wisdom 

There’s a TV ad that shows a couple moving up a mountain path with an obscure looking castle on top.  Half way there they meet a bearded man sitting cross legged with his elbows on his knees and his palms extended upward.  He is supposed to represent the wisdom the ad is claiming will gratify both the buyer and the viewers who see it.  Here wisdom is defined as making a good visual choice, having a good visual possession and making a good visual…

The Peaceful Heart

Our bodies are temples given us who are images of God, to worship the Lord God and to serve others around us who are images of God.  Jesus said it this way, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself (Mt.22:37. Lk.10:27, ref. Deut.6:5).”  To arrive at this love, which is not native to us sinfully born, we turn to the loving Person who said those words in…

Letting God in Right Where We Are 

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you (Is.46:4).”  Remember up front, as we look at this verse, it is the Father making these promises through His Son Jesus. 

This verse carries several contexts.  Like all the Prophets, they hold a primary theme showing a spiritual God dealing with a spiritual people.  But He deals with them…

The Good, the Better and the Best

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in…