The man wasn't even a Jew. He and his men had been stationed in Capernaum by the Roman authorities to keep law and order. But he'd established a good relationship with the local Jewish elders, so he asked them for a favor. Would they go to Jesus and ask him to come and heal his paralyzed servant, who lay close to death? Not only did the elders go to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly on behalf of the centurion. "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue," they said. So Jesus went with them (Luke 7:4-6). Before he got to the Continue Reading
One Practical, Effective Way to Teach Your Children How to Pray
During a Sunday morning service years ago, our pastor asked the congregation to gather in small groups to pray for one another. My group included a teenage boy and his mother. We took turns expressing prayer needs, but when it came time to start praying, the boy turned to his mother and said, "Mom, you're going to have to help me with this." His mother prayed aloud, one sentence at a time, and he repeated what she said. Clearly, this young man had never learned how to communicate with God outside of religious rituals. He was certainly old enough and smart enough to talk to God Continue Reading
The Surprising Character Quality every Spiritual Leader must Possess
"Jim" was the lead pastor of a popular mega-church. He was well-known by the media, wrote numerous books, and spoke at many conferences. I liked his teaching, and I didn't want to believe what I was hearing. Our friends knew another pastoral staff member at that church. This person's job, our friends explained, involved an inordinate amount of mopping up emotional messes which the lead pastor had left behind. The pastor lacked a certain character quality --a lack which eventually caused his resignation. With our Western cultural paradigm, we value strong, decisive leaders. We want Continue Reading
3 Things Parents must Overcome to Raise Strong Christians
She was raised in a Christian family, and she was frustrated. No one seemed able or willing to provide her with satisfactory answers to her big questions about life, God, and reality. Halfway through high school, she abandoned her religious upbringing. It happens far too often, doesn't it? A young person has questions, but instead of engaging them and helping them wrestle through to the answers, adult Christians (including parents) often prescribe more devotional experiences as the answer. However, encouraging the emotional side of faith more does nothing to satisfy the Continue Reading