The Cookie Jar
A little boy’s mother baked a batch of cookies and placed them in a cookie jar, instructing her son not to touch them until after dinner. Soon she heard the lid of the jar move, and she called out, “Son, what are you doing?” A meek voice called back, “My hand is in the cookie jar resisting temptation.” It’s funny to think of a person trying to resist temptation with their “hand in the cookie jar.” This is as much a challenge in our culture today, as it was for the Ephesians.
right thing, wrong reason
I was preaching one evening when a mentally ill man walked down the church aisle, slapped me in the face, pushed over the pulpit, and sent the congregation into a panic. In a protective act, a church member named Gary stepped toward the man as he lunged towards Gary and his wife.
you choose Q: Is God concerned and involved in who we choose to marry?
Q: Is God concerned and involved in our choice of marriage? —Olabisi
A: Yes, God is concerned about who we choose to marry. The Bible clearly states that God wants us to marry someone of the opposite sex who shares our same faith (Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:14-16). He desires for us to pick a mate whose primary allegiance is to…
sexuality and the Bible
In his booklet What the Bible Says—and Doesn’t Say— about Homosexuality, Mel White makes the following claim: “The Bible is a book about God, about God’s love for the world and the people of the world. It is the history of God’s love at work rescuing, renewing, empowering humankind. It was never intended to be a book about human sexuality.…
an apology
A pastor friend of mine recently said that the Christian church ought to apologize and repent of the hurt it has caused to the homosexual community. That’s a pretty radical statement, but I happen to agree.
Now, before you label me as someone going soft on sin, please understand that I believe the Bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong. Romans…
speak the truth
Today, most of us live in a highly pluralistic society. Our next-door neighbor could well be Chinese, Ethiopian, or European. And, in the name of harmony, we’re told to respect differing views and opinions.
But when voices of culture state that homosexuality, abortion, and cohabitation are acceptable lifestyle choices, what should believers in Jesus do? When God’s truth is replaced…
sinners alike
As my husband and I sat with our children at the 4th of July fireworks, two lesbian women sat nearby with their young toddlers. Expressive in their affection for each other, what they perceived as liberty, God’s Word defines as bondage. I remembered a young woman I had sat with a month earlier. Listening, I grieved with her as she…
acceptable sins
Recently, I read the story of a husband and wife who walked out of a movie theater partway through the film Milk. Both were disgusted after seeing actor Sean Penn, portraying former homosexual politician Harvey Milk, kiss another man. So they approached the box office attendant and demanded a refund. The attendant suggested they swap their tickets for a film…
