Posts from December 2025
Jesus: The Consolation of Israel?
At a youth Christmas party that we were at the other day I played a bit of a game with the teens… ‘name all the characters that you remember in the Christmas story. I wonder if you could do that? Then… not only name them, but tell where they are found in the Scripture, and what their significance is. This might be a good Christmas party game for you as well. Let me get you started: But did you on…
What Can a Genealogy Teach Us!?
Often in my time in Turkey I was asked a single set of questions by many Turks (mostly taxi drivers). “Where are you from?” To which I would answer, “I am Korean. My father and mother emigrated from Korean to the States in the 80s.” Without fail, the next question was. “North or South?” Some would also then ask, “Do you know Kim Jong Un?” On my best days, I engaged with humor. When cultural stressors were higher, I used…
Lessons on Friendship from an Unexpected Place
I don’t know about you, but for me the book of Job has always been an incredibly hard book in the Bible to get through. I often find myself speed reading through it, only glazing over the salient points just so I can finish it as quickly as possible and move on to something less uncomfortable. But lately I have begun to view that book very differently. There are several incredibly important lessons in the book of Job, beyond the…
The Essence of Joy
We are moving into the third week of Advent this Sunday. The theme is on joy. What is joy? Joy is a deep and very good emotion. So, we read in many places in the Bible: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found a covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 13:44) “And you will have joy and gladness, and…
My Cancer and My Faith
The last couple of years have been the hardest of my life. Night sweats, cognitive fog, muscle atrophy, pain, exhaustion, and sleeplessness stretch endlessly, leaving me drained and painfully aware of how fragile my body has become. These symptoms are the result of the medications I have been taking and continue to take, a reminder that my strength is slipping away. You see, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017. Immediately, I began to understand in a new way…
The Nature of Sin
Hello beloved LifeWay family, Happy Advent to you all! Why is the sermon theme this Advent season on Sin and the Fall? What a damper on a joyous and happy season…Why not just happy carols, frosted cookies, and joyful choruses? Christ has come! But is life really like that? I was told once by a friend overseas that when Western missionaries leave the homes of indigenous peoples/groups/tribes, these once smiling people return to their lament and sadness. The Western presence…
Ancient of Days
Many Christians listen to Christian radio stations while they work, do some light house work, or drive. Some listen to Christian music exclusively. Do you enjoy Christian music? I cannot say I do. Occasionally, my wife would hear a Christian song that she said was out of this world, and ask me to listen to it, and she would be right, the song was amazing. But usually, I don’t listen much to Christian music (some of you are questioning right…