Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules.
How far does our care go?
As the director of a community center in one of the smallest neighborhoods in New Orleans, I often heard residents call Hollygrove-Dixon “the forgotten neighborhood.” Just a mile from Celebration Church’s main campus, it was largely unnoticed — until our…
If you act right … Actually, it takes more than acting
Then the Lord said to Cain: Why are you angry? Why are you dejected? If you act rightly, you will be accepted; but if not, sin lies in wait at the door: its urge is for you, yet (but) you…
Tikkun olam for today
Woven tenderly into the spiritual tapestry of Judaism is the mending thread of tikkun olam, a phrase which has to do with repairing the world, making things better for the whole human family and all creation. Tikkun olam, a call…
What I learned in the ER about the image of God
We must ever and always manifest Christ’s likeness with humility. Do we really think we have what it takes to understand complex and deceptive humans? We rarely understand ourselves! How will we know when to speak and when to be…
God of the specific
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Already broken them? Join the club. Odds are you’re vowing to lose weight, get more exercise, get a handle on your finances, etc. If those haven’t worked in the past, here’s a better resolution,…
Prayer might not be enough
When someone shares a prayer request, what do you hear? We’ve been programmed to tell others when we have a need for God’s help. Many of us grew up going to Wednesday prayer service, where a significant block of time…
Note to self: Get rid of resting jerkface
I stopped by the bank the other day to cash a few checks for pocket money. The teller already was having a bad day, I surmised, as she completed a tense conversation with a co-worker while I approached her window….
When walking with the grieving, carry the umbrella
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls….
Maybe we’ll just keep on preaching these five sermons
In 20 years, my wife and I have preached about 950 sermons from the pulpit of Park Road Baptist Church. (Amy and I have been co-pastors in Charlotte since 2000.) We’re both manuscript preachers, and we try to hold a…