I still remember the day I first laid eyes on the woman who would become my wife. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Eleven years of marriage and six (soon to be seven) kids later I think she’s even more beautiful. I know her better now. Then my knowledge of who she is was superficial. Today my understanding is deeper. I still have a lot more to learn.

Building intimacy in relationships takes time. It can be messy. Sometimes it’s hard. There are highs and lows. I am enjoying the process. I look forward to growing in knowledge about my bride for the rest of our lives.

This process is true of every relationship. Not everyone enjoys it. Sometimes superficiality is easier.

With that in mind I have a question: What’s your favorite Bible verse? Continue reading →

In Ethiopia I saw fruit trees everywhere. Mangoes. Avocados. Bananas. For a city boy like me it was pretty cool.

On one occasion I had the privilege of teaching on biblical salvation. Conversion is a genuine miracle. It is not superficial. Inspired by the fruit trees I said, “Sitting in a church building doesn’t make you a follower of Jesus any more than sitting in a tree makes you a banana!”

They laughed. But their laughter turned to sobriety almost immediately. They understood. In my current context this is more controversial.

My Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ have different experiences. We were in a different context. We were sitting outside on a beautiful day. We were sitting next to the ruins of their previous meeting-house. It had been burned to the ground years before. Continue reading →

Freedom. Sovereignty. Choice. Predestination. Man’s will. God’s will.

My head hurts already.

My headache comes more from the fighting I hear among Christians over these topics than the topics themselves. This biblical tension is something to be embraced. It’s not supposed to be a battle ground.

Sovereignty and human freedom are not enemies. One of the best books in the Bible to help us understand how these themes work together is Jonah. That’s right. The book about the guy getting swallowed by a great fish. Did you know that the whole fish thing is really just a small detail?

Jonah isn’t a long book. It’s only four chapters. They aren’t even long chapters. The whole book is half as many words as this blog post. Really. But many people have never read it. They’ve only heard it told in children’s church. Or mocked by unbelievers who asked, “You really believe a guy got swallowed by a whale and lived?” Continue reading →