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Fear Builds Walls, Love Builds Bridges – Embracing the Nations
Imagine a New Home for Them “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself.” Leviticus 19:34 There is something deeply unsettling about being the outsider. Over the years, Peter and I have lived in three different countries. We moved from Canada to Thailand (10.5 years) , spent…
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Why Was God So Violent in the Old Testament?
Throughout my life as a pastor I’ve been asked some hard questions. One of the most common questions people ask when reading the Bible is, “Why does God seem so violent in the Old Testament?” We read stories of wars, judgment, and entire nations being destroyed. At first glance, it seems difficult to reconcile…
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Radical Jesus
I remember being in a strip club on outreach when one of the dancers asked me, “Who is Jesus anyway?” Then she added, “Jesus was Catholic, right?” There was something unexpectedly sincere and endearing about the question. I told her, “Catholicism came after Jesus, so no, He wasn’t Catholic. But I can tell you…
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Don’t Be Weird
There’s a difference between being set apart and being strange. I remember my grandmother telling me that when she was a young girl, she used to iron her naturally curly hair so people wouldn’t think she was vain and had gotten a perm. She also told me that men in the church could only…
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I’m so offended!
We live in a world where offense is everywhere, amplified by social media and fueled by fragile conversations but as followers of Jesus, we are called to rise above it. Offense is a trap that isolates, hardens hearts, and robs us of peace, yet Scripture shows us a higher way: overlook wrongs, stay rooted…
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Why Shepherds?: The Christmas Story we Often Miss
The Christmas Story We Think We Know Every Christmas morning growing up, my family would gather in the living room before a single gift was opened. My dad would read the story of Jesus’ birth (something we do to this day) and then pray a very, very long prayer while we kids squirmed, desperate…
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The Gift of a Saviour
Matthew 1:18–21; Acts 4:12 Christmas isn’t just a season of lights, gifts, and gatherings, it’s the celebration of the greatest gift the world has ever known: a Saviour who came to rescue us, redeem us, and restore us to the Father. Before the angels sang, before shepherds ran, before wise men knelt, there was…
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God Became a Baby: The Astonishing Humility at the Heart of Christmas
In a season filled with lights, carols, and celebration, it’s easy to forget the heartbeat of Christmas, God stepping into our world so no one would ever have to feel alone. What Comes to Mind When You Think About Christmas? For many, Christmas brings to mind cozy lights, warm gatherings, carols, and nativity scenes.…
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When Hunger Meets His Presence
This is the story of a night under a simple white tent in Sri Lanka where expectations were shattered – not by production, but by hunger. A room full of students cried out for God with such longing that Heaven responded in a way that no sermon could have orchestrated. What I thought would…
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Politics & the Pulpit – Walking the Tight Rope
This article reflects on the challenge pastors face when navigating politics from the pulpit. It emphasizes that the pulpit is sacred space meant to lift high the name of Jesus. While acknowledging that people hold strong opinions and that justice and truth matter, it warns that politicized preaching divides the church and weakens its…