The Truth in Genesis
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work..” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV) Creekside is reading Beginnings this season—the first five books of the Bible in a format without chapter and verse numbers. Naturally, the subject of truth came up in my small group as we were discussing the first chapters of Genesis. We all agreed that Genesis was never meant to be a science textbook, but keeping in mind the verses...
read moreDon’t Skip to the End
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 NASB) In February 2018, Kent and I read a book called Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved), a memoir by Kate Bowler. The book describes the...
read moreLanding the Plane
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6 NIV) Anytime I’ve talked to someone about where we are in our vitality journey at Creekside over the past few months, I have found myself talking about how we are in the process of “landing the plane.” This is what I mean: We have...
read moreA Resolution Worth Making
“[F]or it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV) New Year’s Resolutions—the determination to give up old behaviors or make some other positive change—have turned into something of a joke in our culture. We decide to exercise more, eat healthier, finish that project, start that project, or even just enjoy life more. Then that cheesecake calls our name, the kids get sick, and life interferes with our plans. Rather than giving up on Resolutions and letting them remain a joke (“Hey, it...
read moreOne Step Back, Several Steps Forward
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. (2 Peter 1:12 NIV) Groups and businesses frequently conduct evaluations of their status and develop plans for needed improvement, especially at the end of a year. If you are a Mariners fan, you probably know by now that the team has decided to “rebuild” for next season and beyond. Despite a winning season in 2018, the Mariners narrowly missed the playoffs again and have now gone longer without a playoff appearance than...
read moreBroken Ribs and A Place in Heaven
(Note: There will be no FYI next week. May your Christmas celebrations be blessed by the knowledge of Emmanuel, God With Us. See you in the new year!) “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3 NASB) I had been feeling sad for some weeks, but it seemed to...
read morePraying His Attributes
“But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name In the presence of your faithful people. “ (Psalm 52:8-9 NLT) At the end of the year, I always feel some trepidation of things left undone or spending too much time on things that don’t matter. Those of you who know me well or know what I’ve been up to might be smiling right now at how ridiculous it may sound. And what I choose to do depends on how in...
read moreTry and Try Again
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. (Romans 2:7 NIV, emphasis added) My favorite tea has been discontinued by its producer. A tragedy! I’m quickly running through the approximately year’s supply I snapped up from Amazon as soon as I learned of the change. However, in retrospect, I’m not surprised that the flavor didn’t catch on. I fell in love with it at work, where I made it with hot water from the dispenser and the tiny shelf-stable cups of half-and-half. But when I first...
read moreSeeing is Relieving
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you....
read moreAn Attitude of Gratitude
(Note: Since there won’t be an FYI next week, I’m adapting a post from 2012 in honor of Thanksgiving.) “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV) As I sit here looking out onto the beach, on vacation for my tenth anniversary while my in-laws watch my two boys, I am reminded of how much I have to be grateful for—and how much more I could express that to God. The idea of giving thanks has come to my attention several times lately. A friend of mine told our Bible study about A Simple Act of...
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