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In the early morning hours, the Lord brought an article to my attention: Debunking the “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” Myth.   I know I could just say, “I noticed” or “I read” and not bring the Lord into it, but don’t you believe that God leads us? Plus I’m going to need as much divine support as possible with this post. I will be taking on one of the most beloved “sayings” of the modern church, “Hate the sin. Love the sinner.” The article I mentioned laid out three very good reasons to consider this idea a myth. I’ll add some of my own.     Did you know that “Hate the sin. Love the sinner” isn’t from Jesus or the scripture. It’s quote from Mohandas Gandhi, who may have been quoting Augustine. Justin Lathrop correctly points out that “Jesus has never been about hate. Jesus talks about love and grace and mercy, but never hate. So introducing hate into the conversation is automatically a deviation from His teaching.” Jesus didn’t shame people. Jesus didn’t condemn the woman at the well or the prostitute in the square. He loved them and gently guided them into a new life. […]

My dad was a war hero. He served in the 4th Marine Division in World War II. He landed on Iwo Jima and other islands in the south Pacific. He was at the foot of the hill when the famous picture was taken of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. He was one of many heroes of that war. When the war was over the heroes quietly returned and picked up their lives. Their lives during and after the war earned them the title Greatest Generation. Their nation responded to the heroes by establishing college benefits, assists with home loans. Special heroes were given medals and became respected leaders in their communities. I would never compare my service with my Dad’s. I served in the Navy in the Vietnam era. I was in the Navy for over eleven years. I went to Vietnam twice. However, I served safely on an aircraft carrier and I saw no real action and did not kill anyone or see anyone be killed. Many of my friends did. Our return home was very different from that of my Dad’s generation. We were spit on. When my ship returned from war, garbage was thrown down […]

“Church is archaic, domineering, impersonal, hypocritical, irrelevant, contentious, petty, boring and stale. It’s institutional instead of authentic and religious but not relational.” That’s what many believe according to Barnabas Piper, son of prominent Christian Pastor John Piper. He has written an article encouraging us to hang on.  Lots of us have given up on Church. Plenty more think about doing so regularly. Traditional church is being abandoned by many. Pastors are quitting or getting into trouble trying to measure up to what’s expected of them. I think that’s the core of the problem: expectations. Pastors are expected to be preachers, teachers, administrators, counselors, janitors, yard men, and, of course, good family men. It’s a bit much. In fact, it’s totally unreasonable. The Church Mirage. Churches are expected to be sanctuaries where every one is saved, blessed, prosperous, always filled with joy and perpetually perfect examples of what it means to be a devoted follower of Christ. Look around friend. It’s just not so.  No wonder many are disillusioned. Church is very much in need of a remake. We need to start at the top. The top, by the way, isn’t the Pastor, it’s Jesus. We need to reconsider who Jesus […]

I had a great time Wednesday night as I filled in for Pastor Jason. Pastor has been working his way through the Book of Romans. I took over at Chapter 7, Verse 1. My goal was to do no harm. I wanted Pastor to be able to take over next week where he left off. Chapter 7 of Romans reminds us that we are under the law only as long as we live. When we are born again, the old man dies. With that death, our bond to the law ends and our connection with Jesus begins. The ancient prophecy and God’s promise to write the law on our hearts is finally fulfilled. Our problem is that, like the Israelites, we want to go back to Egypt. We resist a life not governed by rules but by relationship. How would our marriages be if we followed all the “rules” of a good marriage, instead of living out our relationship from the love that is at its heart? In our life in Christ it is possible, for the first time, to really overcome sin. When we begin to experience little victories, we get the crazy idea that it’s something we […]

I recently came across an article entitled, “18 Ways to Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook.” As I read the article, I found myself repeatedly saying, “That’s right.” It then dawned on me that the way we ruin our reputation on Facebook, is pretty much the way we ruin our reputation in life. See if you agree. I have personalized these “ways” finding myself usually “guilty as charged.” First, the ugly … 1. Post something out of frustration in the heat of the moment.  Don’t say (or write or post) anything in the heat of the moment. Give it some time. You will be glad you waited. 2. Criticize people. Sometimes we think we are being subtle when we don’t mention names. But in context, folks know to whom we refer and really isn’t that what we want? 3. Embarrass yourself. Why do we say things online that we would never say in person. Trying saying out loud what you are about to post. You may hit “delete” a lot. 4. Embarrass your family. I love my family and I think the things they do are cute. Before posting consider how you would feel if what  you are about to […]

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ (NIV) 7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the […]

How would you like an opportunity to be involved in a meaningful way in spreading the truth about Christmas around town? Beginning on December 12, 2014, for 12 nights,  local choirs, churches, and individuals will be joining together to celebrate the upcoming birth of our Lord and Savior.  In Lafayette, a nativity scene will be placed at Parc Sans Souci.  Each night from 6:30 pm -8:30 pm enjoy Christmas caroling and worship music.  Local groups will be providing refreshments and it is FREE to the public! Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and your families and come celebrate the TRUE meaning of Christmas. This project is the brain child of Kelly Mouissett. You can learn all about it and catch a  listing of the performing choirs. A couple of nights are still available. Money and assistance is also sought. Check it out at Kelly’s website. Pray for this endeavor. Plan to attend at least one night and maybe participate as well. It will make for a great famiy outing. Kelly’s blog is pretty cool, too.  

 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 12-13 At the last meeting of our Tuesday night share group, I discussed Faith,  Hope and Love. These are the essentials of our faith. They are the components of Christianity. They are not given; but they are gifts which we are to continually seek. We ask the Lord to give them to us, calm faith, bright hope, burning love and a compassion for souls. Calm Faith Faith addresses our anxiety about the purpose and meaning of life. It calms our fears, steadies our emotions, and puts peace in our walk. Burning Love Love is our gasoline. It motivates and fuels our lives. Bright Hope Hope is the beacon that draws us forward. It is the promise of the glory of our destination. This expression of these gifts comes from my favorite worship album of all time. The song is Calm Faith and it comes from Encounter’s Free to Live. The album can be downloaded from I-tunes […]