Abba's Girl

Ever notice in some churches reverence (Deep respect and awe for God.) is a thing of the past? I am not saying contemporary services are a bad thing, I've seen a lack of reverence in very traditional services too. In America, people seem to think they are sitting in their living room whether in their living room, at a theater, or in a sanctuary. Many times checked out - talking, texting, looking at their watch hoping the pastor winds it up in time to flip on the tube and see the kick off. For those who will be worshiping in a church tomorrow, I pray we are all filled with awe and respect for the Lord and His house. I pray we remember we are not in our living room; conversations can wait; cell phones and Ipads will still function when turned back on after the service. So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both th...

Like weather, life can be dramatic, life can be be beautiful, life can be boring, life can be inconvenient (think blinding rain at rush hour). Summer weather patterns in southeast Texas are fairly routine - hot & humid. Yesterday it was 106 and sunny, then late afternoon severe weather warnings were issued for our area. As the sun set, wind gusts of 62 mph were recorded, vertical and horizontal rain began to pour from the sky, plenty of thunder and lightning and of course a little hail to add to the mix and drama. We can be in the midst of a tranquil season in life - maybe even boring when the phone call comes which turns our world topsy turvy, or your spouse walks in the door from work and announces he wants a divorce. At times, life is filled with drama. How we react is to the situation is very important. Do we press into God? Do we act like we star on a reality show - being paid to behave badly? Or are we somewhere in between? I think somewhere in between describes many of u...

Cafeteria Christian is a new term to me, it is another term for Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. An extensive survey among American teens who professed to be Christians was conducted 10 years ago. A majority of the participants said they like the Bible but could not recall a verse or anything from it. They also think Jesus is a great guy but they knew little to nothing about the Cross or the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection. Their basic beliefs are: A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and most world religions. The central goal in life is to to be happy and feel good about oneself. God does not need to be particularly involved in one' life, except when God is needed to resolve a problem. Good people go to heaven when they die. I see many adults with the same beliefs, much of what the teens listed as their beliefs parallel many of t...