Job (rhymes with robe) buried ten children in a single day. He suffered so terribly he wanted to die. His story is found in the Old Testament book bearing his name. It was customary in those days for friends to come and sit in silence with those who were grieving. To weep with them. To … Continue reading The Ministry of Presence
Author: Nick Watts
Gen Z – The Loneliest Generation
I read a stat recently that gave me pause. What sociologists call ‘Gen Z’, currently age 6-24, are the most connected, yet loneliest generation in human history. As I considered this, I began to see something more clearly. Since the advent of the smartphone in 2007, we gain more and more virtual friends, yet grow … Continue reading Gen Z – The Loneliest Generation
The Width and Depth of Scripture
Recently, I was humbled by the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. I was humbled for the following reason: I've read the Bible through, cover to cover, many times. In various translations. Additionally, I've "camped out" in particular books and/or passages for months at a time. Finally, I've carefully studied … Continue reading The Width and Depth of Scripture
Sexual Abuse & the Southern Baptist Convention
Evil is never so evil as when done in the name of religion. It's "a reality far more evil and systemic than I imagined it could be...a true horror." - Russell Moore You can read about it in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, or Yahoo! News. It's everywhere for the … Continue reading Sexual Abuse & the Southern Baptist Convention
The Man on the Middle Cross
We can’t earn it. Human effort is futile. Works-based salvation is a back-breaking burden resulting in a lifetime of legalistic bondage. To believe we must "check off the boxes" of being "good enough" to help us get into heaven completely nullifies the work of Christ on the Cross. In other words, if we can earn … Continue reading The Man on the Middle Cross
When Your Light Burns Out
Paul prayed for the Ephesians believes, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (flooded with light by the Holy Spirit) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,... and his incomparably great power for us who believe..." - Ephesians 1:18-19 When we allow sin - … Continue reading When Your Light Burns Out
When You Mix Church and Politics
When you mix church and politics - you get politics. **Please don’t misunderstand - standing fearlessly as a church, and as an individual, for biblical morality is not politics. Jesus never shrank from the truth. And neither should his followers. What I'm writing about here is when a church tethers itself to a candidate and/or … Continue reading When You Mix Church and Politics
How the Sun led me back to the Son
This is the highest resolution image of the Sun ever taken. That tiny dot in the upper right is Earth. There’s 93 million miles between the sun and that tiny dot. The light we see from the sun is eight minutes old. The sun is a star, not a planet. A ball of hot plasma, … Continue reading How the Sun led me back to the Son
The Close-Mindedness of Christians
A couple of years ago, I saw a brief video clip of a popular defender of the Christian faith speaking on a state college campus. As you can imagine, those opposed to the Christian faith arrived at the presentation equipped to expose the speaker for perpetuating what they believe to be a fairy tale, based … Continue reading The Close-Mindedness of Christians
When you’re accused of being (fill in the blank)-phobic
Have you been accused of being transphobic, homophobic, xenophic, ad nauseum? Don't allow someone to bully you simply because you don't hold to the same opinion they do. I continue to watch the "tolerant" be the most intolerant, bigoted, and hateful. To them, free speech is only free when it's their opinion coming out of … Continue reading When you’re accused of being (fill in the blank)-phobic