Earlier this week I learned that a teenage girl recently – like last month – contracted Bubonic plague while on a hunting trip to the Heppner region of Eastern Oregon. Doctors suspect she was bitten by a flea that was carrying the disease. Thankfully, due to modern medicine, she is recovering in a Bend hospital […]
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” I Cor. 3:5-7 One of the things that I […]
Christians are called to help those in need, and our readings in Acts reveal that a distinctive feature of the church was that “no one had need” because brothers and sisters sacrificed their own possessions. This radical giving is truly a witness to God’s love and compassion poured out into hearts through the Holy Spirit. […]
The phrase Right-Hand Man in English has an interesting history. Today, we normally use this phrase to express how important and valuable someone is to us. The phrase also has a connotation of trustworthiness. One article explained the origins of this phrase this way: “The expression “right-hand man” (as well as the tradition of seating […]
The other day I heard a story on the radio about Donald Trump. The focus of the piece concerned his “brand”. Branding is a critical thing for any company because it essentially is what your potential customers think about you when they hear or see your name. So, for example, when people think of Trump, […]
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15 Cattle are interesting animals. For example, did you know a cow has four stomachs! This amazing creature is able to eat grass and other vegetation because it gradually […]
As I sit in my office the sound of heavy machinery creeping around serves as an indication that construction has begun on the new development around the church property. These sounds and sights of new things getting ready to happen right around us got me thinking about how God works new things in our lives. […]
After the High School Senior graduation barbecue on June 7, I and the six graduates and three chaperones headed to the coast for a one night camp out at South Beach State park. The purpose was to celebrate graduation and have some fun, but it was also designed to have some time for serious reflection […]
We are taking a few weeks at the Keizer church to think and wrestle with transitions in life and how our faith impacts them. This past Sunday, Howard movingly spoke about the transition out of the house and that important step in life. This coming week, we will look at a transition that comes later […]
Last week during the Wednesday night class on Christian Leadership, Marshall Zoerner brought up a critical point about the task of leadership. This point is simple, yet profound: good leaders not only perform needed tasks and get others involved but they also equip others to lead. During the discussion I remembered a painting by the […]