Indagatio Veri

Throughout my life God has really taught me many things but one sticks out in particular.  Life in Christ is the best life..period.  Nothing we can think up, devise, or emphasize is better than what God has already laid out for us.  In fact they don't even come close.  And I am not saying that my life is perfect but God has blessed me with so many things and with so many people.  He has allowed me to experience the joy, wonder, thrill, challenge, comfort, and love that exists within a Christian community.  John 10:10 says,  "But I have come to give you life and life to the full."  If there is one misconception that I would love to see changed, is that Christianity is boring, or restricted form of life and therefore of a lesser quality. Throughout the Bible God gives us many rules, commandments, and guidelines.  To many, especially after comparing the life of the world, these seem very restricting.  Why is it that God set all these guid...

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the old has gone and the new has come.. 2 Cor. 5:17 For it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.. Galatians 2:20 If anyone would come after me he must deny himself pick up his cross and follow me.. Matt. 16:24 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.. Romans 12:2 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever... 1 John 2:17 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Rev. 3:16 Trust in the lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.. Proverbs 3:5 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.. Galatians 6:17 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his sould? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?  Matthew 16:26 From...

It is in nature that I feel closest with God. I am in awe of the His glory that is written across this Earth. Waterfalls, caves, forests, streams, oceans, grasslands, deserts, and mountains have an alluring quality that is hard to resist. Nature is wild, untamed, dangerous, and thrilling; while at the same time exuding peace, security, simplicity, and above all wonder. To behold the beauty and majesty of this Earth that God created is such an honor. To believe that he created it for us, is well, overwhelming and humbling. I am naturally a reflective person, and when my breath is taken away by God's power, beauty and majesty, I can barely express my thoughts or feelings. Every aspect and every facet of the area around me becomes something of interest. Last week at Okoboji I walked outside just as it began to stop raining. The day had not been good for me and I was feeling quite broken and distressed. God however was not cooperating with my emotions. The ground was wet, and the sce...

 We are sinful people, many times we forget this.  We are inadequate, selfish, petty, unworthy, and unclean.  We do not have the ability to understand things on our own, nor are we capable of doing good without the help of God.  The fall of man separated us completely with God, rendered the Earth faulty, and filled our lives with pain and turmoil. Romans 3:10-20 says, "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The poison of vipers is on their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery make their ways and the way of peace they do not know.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.' Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to t...

So I gave the sermon this last Sunday here at camp. It was on sacrifice, probably the most important act in Christianity. I don’t know if I presented it well enough but I learned some things while preparing it so I decided I will share what I learned. As we talk about sacrifice it is very easy to agree or disagree without self reflection. So I challenge you to reflect inwardly to really see where you are. Perhaps what I have to say will be a good reminder but maybe it will be a shock back to reality. Mark 8:34-38 says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in ...

What does it mean to be a friend? Are the friends we have really friends, or are they foes? According to dictionary.com, a friend is a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile. Hostility is a hostile state, condition, or attitude; enmity; antagonism; unfriendliness. I would like to stretch this definition to include someone who doesn’t wish, condone, or act in a good way towards a fellow person. Most people know the classic quote, “If you aren’t with me you are against me.” This would be characterized as a feeling of uncaring or neutrality towards the wellbeing/goodness of another. As Desmond Tutu puts it, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” This being true I would then feel confident to define a friend as someone who pushes and wants us to be good. This then le...