I do not know why I have a Master’s Degree in Muslim Studies. Let me be clear. It wasn’t an accident, like I woke up one morning with a headache and a fuzzy recollection of taking a bunch of classes in Muslim Theology. What I mean is that I haven’t figured out God’s plan for…
I am back after a month long sabbatical. I have been to the mountain top, and I have returned with many words of wisdom. Or put in a less dramatic way, I am back after a refreshing break. God did impress upon me several things while I was away. Some of them more personal in…
“This is the way God made me . . . ” seems to be the battle cry of our culture. It seems like his name is useful for something other than just cursing. But what I think most people mean when they say that this is the way God made me is something more…
This week is designated as Compassion Sunday for ReCAST Church. We will be watching a promotional video for Compassion International and there will be opportunities to sponsor a child in need. My family has sponsored Thong from Thailand for about 5 years now and it has been great for my children. They have written to…
This Sunday will be Kyle’s last week as the associate pastor of ReCAST Church. He came to ReCAST at a time in our history when we were pushing the 150 mark and I was swamped. Kyle brought with him a lot of heart, a lot of passion, love for people, and a genuine quest for…
I was raised to value God’s Word. This was not a consistent message in my home. I do not know how I caught this, except to say that God worked through a preacher who seemed so far removed from daily life, a youth pastor who invested in me, and a bible college that taught me…
A lot of time has gone into preparing for a few short hours next Thursday! How many bazillions of dollars have been spent? How many bazillions of miles of wrapping paper have been used? How many pigs gave their all for Christmas hams? I imagine that this must be disappointing to those who practice this…
I have now been attending churches for over 40 years. And I have picked up a few things about church culture that I do not particularly appreciate. And most of the things that trouble me about church culture revolve around the subject of conformity to non-Biblical standards. As a child I picked up on these…