Church's Got Talent (June 28, 2021)
What does waiting for Jesus’s return look like? Are we just trying to “make it through” until the end? This week we turn to Matthew 25:14-30, looking at the “Parable of the Talents” and what it says to us about what God calls us to do with our lives right now. (Tonight’s live stream was interesting to say the least — part of the system crashed midway through the livestream. The stream kept going, but it was definitely stressful! 😬)
52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks (Week 26: Joshua)
What does real courage in the Lord look like? Melanie Haynes takes us to the Book of Joshua to better understand that question for this week’s 52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks.
Announcing FaithTree Grow
20 Years ago today, FaithTree.com launched as the world’s first (and, I think, still only) customizable Christian portal. 🎉 At the time, I didn’t really think about what it would be like if I were still developing it two decades later, but here we are. The original concept for FaithTree was modeled after classic portal sites such as My Yahoo and My Netscape. Over time, it also became a full fledge RSS news feed reader and, later, spun into an outreach ministry, FaithTree Christian Fellowship.
20 years is too big of deal to let go by without a major celebration, don’t you think?
This month I’ve been adding new features to celebrate this special milestone, starting a few weeks ago with the all new FaithTree WeatherDesk, with free forecasts all around the world and the unique “Weather in the Bible” feature that shows you a verse that ties into your current weather.
I have a few more planned in the coming days of celebration, but one I cannot wait to share with you launches RIGHT NOW on the anniversary day itself: FaithTree Grow.
FaithTree Grow brings together sermons, devotionals and articles from friends of FaithTree (including Bible Baptist Church, Little Hills Church and Harvester Christian Church) alongside FaithTree’s Bible search tool that lets you explore God’s Word and find messages related to the passages you look up. I hope you take a look and that this new feature blesses you as you explore how God is speaking through believers around our community!
The Ending Platform Monopolies Act is Dangerously Misinformed
How Politicos' Low Tech Understanding Threatens High Tech Harm
I see folks on both sides of the aisle getting way to excited about a massive interference in Big Tech by Big Government. In this piece, I discuss some of the issues that are inevitable with it while also noting the real Big Tech problems we need to deal with:
Probably all of us have some frustration with one or more of the Tech Giants who are being targeted by Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s “Ending Platform Monopolies Act.” It is tempting to cheer on efforts to offer a cure to common Big Tech disease, checking their power over us. But, like a layperson coming up with the wrong treatment for a serious illness, this and other similar proposals, dangerously operate on oversimplification that threatens to make our technology much worse while ignoring the genuine Big Tech problems staring us down.
The Midnight Oil (June 21, 2021)
What makes us foolish vs. wise in God’s eyes? That’s the question of the night as we dig into Matthew 25:1-13 (The Wise and Foolish Virgins). Got a few minutes? Please join me.
52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks (Week 25: Song of Songs)
Jim Krenning takes us to Song of Songs this week for 52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks. It’s a great message and I hope you’ll take a moment to be blessed by it.
When Do I Need to Start Loving Cubs Fans? (June 14, 2021)
Are we prepared for Jesus’s return? Pastor Tim continues our series in Matthew 24-25, looking this week at Jesus’s call that we always be prepared.
Not the Enemy
Facebook reminded me that I wrote the following 4 years ago today. The point seems even more applicable now than it did four years ago…
Today’s attack against the Republican baseball team by someone apparently angry because of his opposing political ideology is an example of why we need to change our rhetoric. We need to stop acting as if those whom we disagree with are the enemy. At times we may disagree. At times those whom we disagree with might be genuinely wrong, even. The problem is when we take “I disagree” or “I think you are wrong” and turn it into “I think you are evil.”
As Christians, we are called by Christ to lead the way on this: when we interact in the political sphere or anywhere else, we should have our words filled with Christ’s love, even when we must disagree.
52 Verses, 52 Books, 52 Weeks (Week 24: Titus)
Join us this week for a visit to the Epistle to Titus, thinking about who we are, who God is and how He loves us.
To Heck with Crassness
Do Trite Curse Words Really Help "Art"?
My latest take on OFB, tackling the subject of f-bombs and the like in current pop culture:
I’m tired of it. I’m tired of every currently running TV show someone tells me to watch being littered with content that might make even the proverbial sailor blush. With so many forms of entertainment now freed from the reach of the FCC’s decency rules, it is now countercultural if dialogue or song lacks a peppering of the coarsest words. Is this really the best we can do?
