Posts about Christian Living (12)

Christmas time is upon us! During this time of year, people share countless Christmas stories with their loved ones.

Three more things added to the to-do list. Another Christmas party to add to the calendar. Presents to buy, cookies to bake, pictures to take, cards to send. The list goes on and on as we succumb to the hustle and bustle of the season, often without taking a moment to pause and breathe.

We often think of thanksgiving in terms of the holiday named for the virtue. “Happy Thanksgiving,” we say, with the best of intentions and the merriest of hearts. In the process, we might inadvertently equate the two — happy and thanksgiving — as if they must go together.

November 11 is Veterans Day. I am a proud, Cold War-era veteran of the U.S. Army Field Artillery.

It’s 5:30 a.m., and the alarm begins its shrill alert. Though he’s already been awake for a bit, the day’s tasks begin to loom heavy on the mind of the pastor. The dog needs to be let out, then there are emails to answer and sermon notes to condense. But first, he shuffles to the kitchen for the caffeinated elixir that’ll get his brain firing this early. On the way, he stops to click the remote off, since someone in the house has left the TV on all night, yet again.

God’s Word shares a lot about the rapid passage of time. There is a season for all things and sometimes we don’t feel quite finished with the season we’re in before the next one arrives.

The start of a new school year will be here before we know it. Registration papers are all turned in. Your child may have already picked out a backpack with matching lunch box to boot. The school supply lists are posted and every retail store is stocked for back-to-school shopping. However, are new supplies all a kid needs to be ready for “Back to School”?

In John 13:13, Jesus said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” Jesus Christ was an incredible teacher. His methods of teaching are powerful and applicable in many different areas of leadership. After all, it wasn’t simply what Jesus taught and did, but how he taught a radical message of love and forgiveness that changed the world.