Category: Christian Life
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Christ-like Expiry Date?
We live in an age of strongly expressed opinions. Perhaps because the airwaves are filled with everyone’s viewpoints, people feel the need to express them loudly. I get that. Everyone wants to be heard. But many people have mistakenly assumed that if they feel strongly…
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Thoughts on Easter
Easter is the apex of the Christian calendar. Everything in the Christian life rises and falls on the empty tomb. There is typically a flurry of activity at this time of year involving everything from church musicals to chocolate rabbits to baked hams. It is…
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Since When Is It Wrong for a Christian to have Feelings?
The phenomenon occurring at Asbury and spreading to other school campuses has generated a cacophony of animated discussion. I’m not sure church people have engaged in such vehement debate since youth camps introduced co-ed swimming! Many Christians wholeheartedly rejoice at the fresh moving of the…
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Reflections on Revival
As I write this, meetings are still underway at Asbury University. The result, it seems, is that the Christian community is in turmoil. Is this of God? Is it man-made? Should we support or condemn it? Not surprisingly, this response is common whenever something unusual…
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An Eye for the Beautiful
When I was in high school, the English curriculum had taken a decidedly negative turn. It was assumed, apparently, that it was the humanities’ job to make inexperienced teenagers aware of the harsh brutality of human existence. In my senior year, the protagonist of every…
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Live Wires and Blown Fuses
Atlanta is tough on air-conditioners. They work hard! Inevitably, they require maintenance, usually at the hottest time of year. Last summer, my air conditioner went out. A maintenance company came out and, a large payment later, it was working again. I was happy (at least…
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Joseph, Did You Know?
A popular song at Christmas is “Mary, Did You Know?” written by Mark Lowry. I’m prepared to hear it often over the next few weeks. The song captures the wonder and mystery Jesus’ mother must have experienced. Mary certainly deserves a Christmas carol of such…
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Building A Spiritual Legacy
The family I grew up in wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But it was special. Many people have commented on how unusual the Blackaby family is. I was reminded of that on October 9, 2022, at my mother’s funeral. All five of her children spoke…
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Thoughts on my Mother
Last week was my mother’s funeral. She found out two months earlier that she had liver cancer, and the end came quickly. My mother was the strongest woman I know. Perhaps what she was most known for, at least by the public, was that she…
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Time for a 5,000-Mile Oil Change?
Last year my wife and I bought a new car. We like it, but it recently caused us some challenges when someone backed into it in a parking lot. To his credit, the driver took responsibility for the repairs. After some predictable delays, the autobody…