Since the 12th century, the compass has been an essential tool to help travelers find and keep their bearing. Because of the Earth’s magnetic field, the compass points to north no matter where you are on the Earth’s surface. When Jesus called the first disciples, He gave them a compass: “And he said to them, ‘Follow […]
Until the 1800s, sailing ships were the primary mode of intercontinental transport. No matter what the design, they were entirely dependent on the invisible yet powerful force of the wind. But this free, renewable source of power was productive only if the mast and sails were in good operational condition. The captain’s priority, therefore, was […]
One of the benefits of GPS technology is the elimination of bulky road maps that, once unfolded, could never be returned to their original state. A cross-country trip required several of these maps. Helpful as those maps were, they couldn’t tell you where you were on the map. Many marriages were threatened (including my own) […]
For decades now, Navigators have used the Bridge Illustration to help countless men and women put their trust in Jesus. I’m beginning to see, however, that we can no longer rely on such evangelism tools alone. While they were effective in the past, they may not be as helpful in explaining the gospel today, especially […]
Are God’s promises unconditional? Why do we sometimes have to do something to “collect” on His promises? In my experience, the first cousin to the tension between grace and effort (see my previous blog here) is the tension between grace and conditions. Grace is usually understood as the unmerited favor of God expressed to us out […]
There are aspects of the Christian life that are paradoxical, causing tension when we can’t resolve them. As a rule we tend to polarize what we cannot harmonize, emphasizing one over the other or promoting one and minimizing the other. Whole denominations have been built around this type of tension. Although some tension is unavoidable, […]
