Growing up in a small town named Columbus, the Columbus Day holiday was always a big deal. One of the best parts of the day was watching them fly their hot air balloons. They were all different colors, and it was always amazing to me that they could get off of the ground and into the air. Periodically, they would have to have a burst of fire to create hot air. This was necessary to keep the balloon in the air. If you didn’t refill the balloon with hot air, it would eventually fall back to the ground. Read the rest of this entry »

Jesus tells us that we can recognize a tree by its fruit. He does not mean a literal tree, but instead He uses a tree as imagery to describe us. Like in most parables, Jesus uses what we do understand to explain what we do not. When we go to a tree and we see an apple, we automatically realize that this is an apple tree. The same can be said about us. When you look at the fruit that a person produces, you recognize what kind of tree they are. Read the rest of this entry »

Our lives do not happen in a vacuum. It easy for us to decieve ourselves and imagine that our actions only impact us. In doing so, we insulate ourselves from the true consequences of what we do. Many of us would feel terrible if we knew that are actions were hurting someone one else. It is much easier to think only in terms of ourself. Unfortunately such thinking is a misconception. When we sin, it impacts all those we come in contact with. Even when no one knows about it, our strained relationship with God causes us to not be as uplifting or righteous for those around us. Read the rest of this entry »

During a terrible ice storm, the electricity went out in my small town. Since my parents had a generator and small heater units, some of my family and friends gathered at their house to keep warm. Without a television or gaming system, we had to revert to a more primitive forms of entertainment: a puzzle. We worked long and hard on this large puzzle. It tested my patience quite a bit. But I was excited to see the end result. Unfortunately, this was not a brand new puzzle. We were all quite upset to find out that the puzzle did not have all the pieces! Read the rest of this entry »

Here in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wants the Christians there to know the importance of the members there being one body. It is not good for them to be divided or jealous of one another. Instead they need to work together. Paul wants them to understand that, just as in the human body each part is interdependent on the others, in the church, each Christian is interdependent on all the others as well. We were created to work together, so it is dangerous for us to neglect our role within the body. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a poster in a classrom that reads: “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your character.” That poster makes a strong point about the importance of each and every aspect of our life. Each thought we have, every action that we take has long term consequences. That is why we need to be so careful in everything that we do. Read the rest of this entry »

Today is Memorial Day. It is a day where, as a country, we take time to consider and remember all of those who have died in service to our country. We remember the sacrifice that they made in order to give all of us our freedom. This noble sacrifice is good for us to keep in mind. They put themselves in our place in order for us to be protected from those that would forcibly harm us. Instead of us having to handle this threat ourselves, they put themselves in our place. Read the rest of this entry »

In one of the seemingly most paradoxical moments in all of history, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings humbles himself into a position of servant in order to wash the feet of His followers. Jesus takes one of the lowliest jobs on for himself. Even in our time, feet are not considered the most hygenic part of our bodies. Back then it was even worse because their footwear was only sandals, and they walked on dusty roads. This made their feet extremely dirty, hard, and just generally unpleasant. That is why it was such a sign of humility for Jesus to do this for them. Read the rest of this entry »

In Ephesians chapter six, Paul offers Christians an illustration of warfare to show how serious we need to take our battle in the spiritual realm. This battle is just as important and just as real as any war that has been waged throughout history. However it is easy to neglect the reality of a war that exists on the spiritual plane. Since we do not easily see or feel the effects of the war, we can push it aside and ignore it. Paul tells us that we can no do that, and it is vital that we arm ourselves for the upcoming battles. Read the rest of this entry »

Throughout time, Christians have shown a remarkable capability. No matter what else is around them, no matter what calamity may strike, they almost seem to never be rattled. There is an inner strength to them. How are they able to do it? What allows them to keep their heads high in the direst of times? Do they know something others do not? Take Daniel for example. I imagine when he was about to be thrown in the Lion’s Den he was not screaming or pleading for his life. Instead, I imagine an unnerving calm about his presence. He was sure that his God could deliver him, but also content to do for righteousness sake (Dan. 6). Read the rest of this entry »