It was the early 1970s at a park on the north side of Flint, Mich. , when a guy with long hair and tattered jeans approached me and asked in a simple, straightforward tone, “Do you know Jesus, man?”   READ MORE

Everyone is familiar with the pursuit of approval in American politics. Since the first political public opinion poll was used in Pennsylvania in 1824, the polling industry has become ingrained in American life – and not just in politics. Celebrities are offered roles or opportunities based upon their likability as well.

As we witness the unfolding impact of Hurricane Florence on millions of lives, we are confronted with the question of why natural disasters occur.   READ MORE

Fourth in a series   What does Jesus think of a church that tolerates false teaching? We see the answer in Christ’s open letter to the church at Thyatira.

The 2018 election season is upon us, so it’s time to start thinking about who to vote for on Nov. 6. Early voting begins Oct. 17.   READ MORE

A picture showing a beautiful baby girl surrounded by over 1,100 in vitro fertilization (IVF) needles is making the rounds on the internet.   According to the description of the photo, “After trying to get pregnant for four long years via IVF, Patricia and Kimberly O’Neill, a couple from Arizona, finally welcomed a beautiful little girl, London, into the world via C-section on Aug.

Why are Christians so divided? If Christianity were true, you’d expect a lot more solidarity and unity about what Christians believe. That’s what you hear a lot from skeptics.   READ MORE

Don’t let the vastness of Hurricane Florence’s looming devastation cower you into thinking that your prayers can’t make a difference.   READ MORE

I made an unusual number of visits to the doctor(s) this year. Nothing unusual going on except I had neglected normally annual things for too long and had to catch up with the labs and scans and pokes.   READ MORE

Everyone who knew him just called him “Red. ” He was my best friend and we spent a lot of time together.   We romped in the fields and woods, swam together in the creek and talked a lot.

A serious scandal has ensnared the Roman Catholic Church. Recently, credible accusations surfaced that a cardinal sexually abused and harassed seminarians and young priests decades ago, one of them being a minor at the time. Reports of other clergy misconduct cases have surfaced in Pennsylvania, Australia and Ireland.

Third in a series   READ MORE

A neighbor in our condo building asked me if I like to fish. “I haven’t dropped a hook in the water since I was 14,” I told him. I went on to tell him about a conversation I had with a church member at Cashie Baptist Church in Windsor, N.

We were so, so close, yet so, so far.   When I moved to Fort Worth 10 years ago to enroll in seminary, my mom and I were navigating around an unfamiliar Texas city after dark trying to find our hotel.

“We are going to have a meeting of the minds. ” I have made that statement so many times that the expression has become a trite one. Perhaps you feel the same way.   READ MORE