What you are about to read may burst your bubble. You have come to know the verse in the Bible that reads, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” This may be one of the top ten most misunderstood passages in the Bible. There is no doubt that it is an inspirational verse. It is an empowering verse. But take a closer look. You may be missing its true meaning. If one were to take a poll of young people and ask for their favorite Bible verse, this verse would probably be number one. I know because I have conducted the survey more than once. This one…

Usually this time of year provides time for a combination of reflection and resolve. We think back on the past year. We reflect on good times and bad times. We reflect on personal and collective victories and defeats. We think about things we could have done better and about times when we were satisfied with our efforts and the outcomes of those efforts. At the same time, we look to the future. Whether or not we go through some sort of formal process of making those “new years resolutions,” most of us are, to some degree, “resolved” to do a better job with something in the new year than we…

What do atheists do for Christmas? December 25th must be an awkward day for them. Do they spend Christmas vacation with their families? Do they exchange gifts with anyone? Do they reject Christmas bonuses from their employers? Do they do anything that is associated with Christmas whatsoever? Or do they disappear for a month? It seems in order to be consistent that atheists would need to reject everything the rest of the world is doing on December 25th. That would be a hard day to be an atheist. At some point, the truth about Jesus and the existence of God is a very difficult thing to get around. Maybe atheists…

My telephone rang.  That happens a lot. It is not all that unusual for my phone to ring. However, this time it was unusual. The ringing itself was not all that unusual, but the conversation that followed was easily the most unusual telephone conversation I have ever had. When I saw the name on the caller ID, I knew whose voice I would hear. I also thought I knew what her message would be. I had talked to her a couple of days earlier. She told me then that the doctors had done everything they could for her husband and that the time had come to just try to make him comfortable until the…