Shame is an interesting emotion.  Sometimes shame and embarrassment are terms that are used synonymously.  What causes this emotion?  Perhaps if I’ve done something that I should not have done.  Or perhaps when others make fun of me.  Or perhaps when I feel self-conscious about something from my past or an uneasiness about a current situation.  There are, obviously, myriads of things…

For the last several years, the President of the United States has made proclamations observing the “Transgender Day of Visibility” on March 31. This has largely gone unnoticed by many until this year when it fell on Easter. Given that Easter is a long-standing tradition for believers in Christ to recognize the miracle the Resurrection, this caused many to criticize the White…

Are you a good person? Many people would quickly answer, “Of course! I do lots of good.” But, by what standard could someone say if they are? For Christians, the standard is God. Jesus proclaimed in Luke 18:19, “No one is good but One, that is, God.” If God is the standard, then I don’t even come close. Since we have God…

Most of us are aware that there is an inspection by the health department of restaurants on a regular basis. Failure to pass that inspection can ultimately lead to its closure. We may not be as aware of another inspection that involves our spiritual well-being. It is far more important. David said it this way in the twenty-sixth psalm: “Vindicate me, O…

Have you ever been in a worship service and all of a sudden you’re thinking about a Honda Accord?  Perhaps you’ve experienced this brain tease, when a verse is read from the book of Acts about the Christians being gathered together in “one accord.”  One accord?  What does that mean? The expression “one accord” is used 11 times in the book of…

In Luke 7, Jesus was invited by a Pharisee named Simon to eat in his home.  While Jesus sat at the table, “a woman in the city” entered the scene.  If it were not for this woman, we may not even have the record of this dinner, for the woman and Simon’s response to her are the whole focus. First of all,…

I assume that most individuals know the difference between embarkation and disembarkation. As more and more people are going on cruises, we have felt the excitement of either getting on (embarking) or getting off (disembarking) the ship. There are great lessons to be learned from looking at disembarkations in the Bible. Worshiping God After You Leave. If I were to ask you…

“It’s time for your annual checkup!” This sentence may cause a sudden sense of dread in many of us. But as much as we might hate going to the doctor, visiting once a year can help you stay healthy and uncover potential health risks. One of the things the doctor will do is get out his stethoscope, listen to the rhythm of…