Some people have heard of the “Jesus prayer,” popularized by the Eastern church tradition. It is an adapted form of the tax collector’s prayer from Luke 18: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son...

We easily critique Job’s “so called” friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They work tirelessly to paste neat and easy answers over Job’s anguish and pain. For some strange reason, they feel...

We find Jesus angry only a few times in the Bible, and this is one of them. According to custom, parents desired a blessing for their children from the rabbi. But...

My youth pastor from years ago told me recently that as a student, I always asked “why.” I had lots of questions. It’s been said that Gentile parents tell their children...

Who was in charge when you were a child and your parent or parents were not available? To whom were you subject? My wife and I left our children with their...

Learning to water ski requires counterintuitive behavior. Once you get the gear on and you are waiting in the water, some well-meaning “expert skier” will share the following secret, “Let the...

The Psalms speak with honesty, emotion, and passion. Who prays a dangerous prayer like this? “Prove me, O Lord and try me; test my heart and mind.” It sounds like the...

What is the nature of relationship between God and human beings? Are we in a symbiotic relationship that rewards behavior? Job is a person of integrity—at least before his life falls...

My dad accompanied me to get my first-ever car loan at his bank. I was a college student with a part-time job and little money. The interview went like this: “Are...

Jesus offers strong words in today’s passage. He cautions the listener to attend to behavior and speech. We could quail in the face of these challenges and assume that going to...