Jesus said to everyone, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. 24 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will save them. Luke 9:23-24 I read church signs. I think…
Faith, Hope, and the Force
Star Wars is back! One could argue that it never really went away. I didn't see the original movie until I was in high school and have never been what I would call obsessed with the Star Wars series. It wasn't until recently, with the hype of the new movie and with the prodding of…
The First Birth Annoucement
We love to get birth announcements in the mail. The announcement usually arrives with a picture of the baby, the proud parents and sister and brothers' names and their weight and height. For a baseball card comparison, it's life's rookie card. Jesus' parents didn't have to send out a birth announcement because of an angel…
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
I get it. I really do. The recent terror attacks abroad and the Syrian refugee crisis is a tough issue. Our elected leaders have a really difficult task, in terms of deciding how to balance welcoming people into our country while maintaining a level of security that protects our nation. I get it. The terror…
#Kellyonmymind, the Bible, and Capital Punishment
Today is a sad day because one of God's children, one of God's beloved, has been executed by the state of Georgia. Capital Punishment is nothing new of course; Jesus was executed by the empire, the prevailing kingdom of the day. Kelly Gissendaner's story was unique in that is was not her crime that was…
From Danny- Lord, Teach Us to Pray
In any relationship, what happens when you don't communicate? The relationship grows stale, it doesn't grow. This is why prayer is so essential to the spiritual life. Phillip Yancey writes, "prayer is cooperation with God, a consent that opens the way for grace to work." Many make the mistake of believing that Christianity is about…
That Old Time Religion(s): College Football and Church
The southern part of the United States has two old time religions-college football and church. Our neighbors homes are currently adorned with different flags from about fifteen different teams. The truth of the matter is that in the fall, a large number of people spend their time doing two things on weekends, attending football games…
From Danny- Real People, Real Problems, Real Help- Anxiety
"Your problem is how you are going to spend this one and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it,and find out the truth about who you are." Anne Lamott…
From Danny- Forgiveness
Will you forgive me? Can I forgive another? These are questions of forgiveness that we wrestle with on a daily basis. Some of those struggles are small; perhaps someone took that parking place you thought was going to be yours, or someone took the last doughnut on a Sunday morning at the Welcome Desk. Some…
From Danny- God Is Not Fair!
When I was in college, the Dave Matthews Band had just become the biggest band in the country.They were coming to the Omni in Atlanta (the arena before Philips Arena) on their first major concert tour and some friends and I decided that we would make the trip over to see them. Tickets for the…
