GraceWaves Articles

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 2:1 Philip Yancey often refers to his having been raised in a strict religious environment. In and of itself that is neutral. The problem was that grace was not a feature of his church or his early Christian thinking. He understands today why some troubled people say “Why would I want to go to church? They only make me feel worse.” I want to point out here, that there are some legitimate reasons people need to feel some guilt and pain, but the contrast between the way many

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15 Turns out, John Wayne was a prophet as well as an all-American hero. He reportedly said, “Life is hard, but it’s harder when you’re stupid.” As with many aphorisms, I don’t know if he actually said this or if it’s merely attributed to him, but it certainly suits The Duke. [As a kid, I wanted to be like John Wayne when I grew up, but only made it a little past Don Knotts] Now I don’t recommend going around labeling anyone’s behavior as stupid. The

“There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear” 1 John 4:18 America is ensnared by an apocalyptic mindset. We have more fears today, than I have ever imagined. Without question we have some good reasons to feel this way. The fall of the twin towers at the hands of a mindless evil still stuns us. Terrorism is with us to stay. A financial collapse. We have real reasons to be afraid. TV programs have picked up on and amplified the hysteria. I’m a big Discovery Channel and History Channel guy. The line-up feeds on fear. Destroyed in

“We felt we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9 In the opening paragraph of his second letter to the Corinthians Paul referenced a particularly difficult time he encountered in Ephesus. He wrote that he felt that he had received the sentence of death while in Asia. He was utterly and unbearably crushed, despairing of life. We do not know the specifics, these details do not fit any particular period we know of in Paul’s life. What we do know is

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27 She knew precisely how to begin the conversation. “Daddy, I have something to tell you. I hope you’re not mad, but I want you to know.” The call was from my 15 year-old daughter, about 9 years ago, just finishing a week at a youth camp during which she was challenged mightily to live for God, embrace what is good, and eat the cafeteria food. She was on the bus about to leave for the day-long trip home when she made THE CALL. “I have

“Make love your aim.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 Bernard of Clairvaux was a 12th century monk, a gifted writer, and a charismatic leader. He wrote a book entitled On Loving God. In it he described four degrees of love, each one successively better and purer than the one before. The first degree of love is love of self for the sake of self. In other words, we solely are concerned about self. A baby comes with this programming, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that in the early years. The problems come when we don’t grow out of it. I

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 I want you to drift back in time with me. Let’s visit a jail in Rome about nineteen hundred and fifty years ago. We walk into a cell and see two men. One of them is a Roman guard. A broad sword hangs at his side. His uniform bears the crests of the greatest empire the world has known to that point. He is a focused and dedicated soldier. The other man in the cell is much older,

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of eagles.” Isaiah 40:31 For those of you reading this meager column in other parts of the country, the following observations may sound very strange, but I assure you they are true. Sea Gulls love to congregate on parking lots. The parking lots need not be particularly close to the beach. In west Mobile, I regularly saw flocks of dozens of birds in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and we were ten miles from the bay. I can only guess that these opportunistic feeders

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 “Whatever you do” and “do everything” clearly cover every aspect of life. What did Paul have in mind here? For the average Christian, whatever that may be, what is the “whatever and everything” of life? The mistake we typically make is to limit “whatever and everything” to the realm of “highly spiritual events” in which everything that happens every day must be by the hand of Almighty God. I once heard a minister say

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19 The book of Deuteronomy is a series of three closing speeches from Moses to the people of Israel. These are long speeches. The people did not get out on time that Sabbath. The Philistines beat them to Piccadilly. In the last of the three speeches Moses clearly outlined the choice that awaited the people. He had set before them life and death, blessing and curse. Then he challenged them to “choose life.”

“Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:6 When was the last time you were touched by something beautiful? It could have been something you heard, saw, felt, or were impressed by. But the experience of the beautiful left you with an awareness that you saw part of something far greater. In his book Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed Howard Gardner defines beauty as something that’s interesting, that has a memorable form, and that invites revisiting. “And as a bonus,” he said, “it gives you a tingle.” This week I’m interested in the

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 I have a confession. Not anything nefarious, more along the lines of embarrassingly dumb. A couple of years ago I was backing my prized Ford Taurus about half-way into my garage, and, for reasons too complicated to explain, I hopped out, leaving the door open, and left the car in reverse. I’ll let that sink in for a moment . . . all right, let’s proceed. As I realized the car was still rolling, with its front left “wing” heading slowly

“So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” Luke 17:10 Jesus’ words at first they sound a bit harsh and unbending. However, when you read the fuller context you discover they are very harsh and unbending! The parable preceding this verse involves a master who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep. Jesus asked if after the servant performed those duties would the master invite him to come and sit down at the table and eat with him? The answer was no! In

“For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 Somewhere in my files I have a story, purportedly true, about a “Cutest Kid the World Contest.” Sponsors promised cash prizes and free trips to Disney World. Hundreds of hopeful parents showed up, their cute kids in tow, eying one another suspiciously and sizing up the competition. Tables on the stage held trophies and ribbons. The contest seemed legitimate. It was not. Either organizers were overwhelmed and under-prepared or they simply did not have the promised prizes. After a two hour

“I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 One of my favorite framed prints in the study at home is Michaelangelo’s depiction of God giving life to Adam. The original, of course, is on the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel. My humble print focuses solely on the two hands, God right hand and Adam’s left. Google “Michaelangelo creation” for a refresher on the scene. I’m looking at it as I write. God’s hand, again the right hand, is stretched out, as is His entire arm. The index finger strains forward, nearly closing the final