Many people today are feeling the growing itch for significance. No one wants to be ordinary. We want our lives to matter and to fulfill a larger purpose. We want to change the world for good, not just watch from the sidelines. Our hunger for significance is rooted in a deep need to feel valued,… Continue reading BETHLEHEM: No person is insignificant.
Author: Cal
JESUS: THE GREAT ONE
We have cheapened the word “great.” People talk about a great game, a great dress, a great vacation or a great song. I remember when Mohammed Ali announced to the world, “I am the greatest.” Hockey players know that Wayne Gretsky was called “The Great One.” Greatness speaks of unique accomplishments that go beyond the… Continue reading JESUS: THE GREAT ONE
WHAT’S THE SPIRIT SAYING TODAY?
For the past 50 years, I have been in ministry around the world. I have served as pastor of churches in Canada and the United States. I have lived in Asia and Africa and preached in more than 50 countries. Recently, I have had two very intense, but conflicting emotions. First, I’m increasingly excited by… Continue reading WHAT’S THE SPIRIT SAYING TODAY?
A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
Perhaps when you were a small child, your mother told you not to take a cookie from the cookie jar, but you couldn’t resist the smell of those freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and you took one. Then there was that little voice inside that told you you’d done wrong. Perhaps it may have been… Continue reading A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
WHEN GOD SAYS WAIT!
Two years ago, we listed our home for sale. We have prayed that God would help us sell the condo. So far, we have not had one offer to purchase our home despite lowering the listing price considerably. For some reason, God has delayed answering our prayer. We are waiting. I have a number of… Continue reading WHEN GOD SAYS WAIT!
WRONGED!
Have you ever been wronged? Have you been blamed for someone else’s actions? Have you ever been treated unfairly? I have. I’ve had people spread rumors about me and what was said hurt. And I’ve seen other people wronged by the actions and words of others. In the Old Testament, Abram’s servant, Hagar, was wronged.… Continue reading WRONGED!
RESTORING A CHURCH’S SELF-IMAGE
A few years ago, I became the lead pastor of a large, 65-year-old congregation that had gone through three years of turmoil and tension. There were arguments about pastoral leadership. The congregation was divided. For a variety of reasons, Sunday morning attendance had dropped by 500, finances had declined $10,000 per Sunday in general fund… Continue reading RESTORING A CHURCH’S SELF-IMAGE
REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 2
While I was a missionary serving in Hong Kong, a Chinese pastor told an insightful parable that illustrated a powerful truth. An old man who was almost blind, was walking down a road when a strange thing happened – his nose and his eyes had a conversation. The nose was very critical of the eyes,… Continue reading REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 2
REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 1
Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys and a committed Christian, once compared the church to the crowd at a football game. He said there were 22 exhausted people on the field in need of rest, while 80,000 people sat in the stands needing some exercise. He claimed that in the church, a… Continue reading REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 1
DOUBTS
A friend told me his baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, was going to win the World Series this year. I said, “I doubt it!” A deacon lived across the street from the church. He was always late for services. One day he told me, “I’ll be early next week.” I said, “I doubt it.” We… Continue reading DOUBTS