     There is an old fable that tells of three novice demons who are on their way to earth to finish their apprenticeship in the art of temptation. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt people to live only for themselves and keep God out of their […]
    (…continued) Make sure you know God and that you know something about God so you don’t end up like Pete, throwing away your best hope for no good reason. We all have different priorities, of course, but one area that should be a priority for everyone, all the time, is getting to know Jesus
3368) Getting to Know God (3/3) Read More »
   (…continued) I once saw a big sign on the side of a city bus that said, “There’s probably no god, so stop worrying and enjoy your life.”    How do you respond to that little bit of advice? The implication is that believing in God is mostly a source of worry that
3367) Getting to Know God (2/3) Read More »
   Charlie was a good friend of mine.  He was on the church council, so we worked together there.  Our wives got along and our kids were about the same age, so we spent time together as families.  And we had a lot in common, so we became good friends. Â
3366) Getting to Know God (1/3) Read More »
   Dr. James Burtness (1928-2006) was one of my toughest professors in seminary, but also one of my favorites. I liked him as a teacher, and did good work in the classes I took from him. But Dr. Burtness did not like my senior paper. The senior paper was to be a 40-50 page
3358) Sticking to the Basics Read More »
Adapted from my sermon the day Brad, age 29, was baptized. ————————–    (…continued) There was one more necessary step. Church was not yet a part of Brad’s life.    A few months ago, Brad and Sheila met Mike and Patti from our congregation, and they became good friends. Brad said he was
3355) Baptizing Brad (2/2) Read More »
      In the Fall of 2000, my father, his only living uncle, and six cousins, travelled to Gotthun, Germany, a tiny village in the northeast corner of the country. They went there to visit the place our ancestors, August and Augusta Stier, left in 1875 to come to America. Our connection to
3347) “But What Will You Do in the End?” Read More »
    In my sermons, Emailmeditations, and conversations, I quote C. S. Lewis more than anyone else, other than Jesus Christ. Other than the Holy Spirit, the writings of C. S. Lewis were the most significant influence in my decision to continue to believe in Jesus and not abandon my faith. For almost one hundred years,
3344) The Most Reluctant Convert Read More »
    A few years ago, the Minneapolis Tribune had an entire section featuring the history of abortion in America. Included in the section was a two-page spread telling the stories of eight women whose lives were dramatically improved by the fact that they were able to legally obtain an abortion when they were younger.    Â
3335) “The Best Gift Ever” Read More »
  “I feel I am missing something.” So said world-renowned astronomer and physicist Robert Jastrow (1925-2008, pictured above), a most interesting man. Jastrow was a scientist, through and through, and he had no room for God in his philosophy of scientific-materialism. However, the more he learned from science about the origin of the universe,
3325) “I Feel I Am Missing Something” Read More »
