Consider this

                  Luke 15, with its parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son, is one of the most-loved chapters in the word of God.   Reflecting mostly on the lost son (verses 11-32), I want to offer you a reminder, some reassurance, an opportunity to re-evaluate and one thought that is too good to keep to myself.                 The reminder:   You will never be happy when you are running away.   The younger son tried it.   However, after wasting all he was given, he figured out that home was better than he knew.   Verse 17 says, “When he came to his senses…” he went back home.   I love that!                   The reassurance:   We serve a God who is waiting, welcoming, running towards and celebrating (verses 20-24).    Never let anyone convince you that God is mean, angry or ready to slam the door in your face.

                  You cannot fix what you do not understand.   That is true of electronics, cars, furnaces, sewing machines, and even your Spiritual life.                   To sort out two key misunderstandings that often hold us back from God’s blessings, consider an incident in John 5.                 The chapter opens at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem.   People came to this pool hoping to be cured of various ailments.   The belief was that God would send an angel to stir the water and, when that happened, the first person in the pool was healed.   As Jesus walked by, he began a conversation with a man who had been coming to the pool for thirty-eight years.                 At one point, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (verse 5).   That sounds like a rude question, but it implies two important truths.                

                  The picture that the volunteer firefighters in Reserve Mines, Nova Scotia entered in the “Fire Hall Photo Contest” was stunning!   It showed the crew, a couple of fire engines and even a hovering rescue helicopter all shrouded in dramatic lighting.   Everyone who saw the picture said they were sure to win the $5000 first prize and they were right.   Within days, they had received so many votes that they were winning by a landslide.   Then, the firefighters of Reserve Mines saw another picture.                 Smith’s Cove fire department near Digby, Nova Scotia had entered the contest as well.   Their picture was not nearly as impressive as the one Reserve Mines had submitted.   There was no dramatic lighting and certainly no hovering helicopter.   It was just a picture of a group of dedicated volunteers standing in front of

                  I like the TV show “American Pickers”, so when I realized that a trip to the Indianapolis 500 was going to take my brother and me right past their shop in Le Claire, Iowa, I had to stop.   It was fun looking around and seeing some things that I had seen on the show.   I even bought a few souvenirs.                   As I was leaving, I asked the girl behind the counter, “What do you do when they start shooting around here?”   She gave me the strangest look as if she had no idea what I was talking about, so I rephrased my question. “When they are shooting the TV show, what do you do with the store?   Do you close it?   Do you use part of it?   What happens?”     She laughed and said, “I grew up in Chicago, so when you asked about shooting, that meant something completely different to me!    I was thinking, ‘There is

                  Noah McVicker’s company was almost bankrupt.   He sold a putty that was used to clean coal soot off wallpaper in people’s homes, but times had changed.   After World War II, most home heating systems were converted to cleaner-burning natural gas and that meant that McVicker’s market was gone and, soon, his company would be as well.                 In desperation, McVicker hired his nephew Joe to help him figure out what to do next.   Joe had a sister-in-law who worked at a daycare and one day she asked if she could take some of the company’s product to work with her.   She thought the kids might enjoy playing with the putty.   The kids loved it!   Within months, McVicker rebrand his wallpaper putty as a child’s toy that he called Play-Doh.                 Today, Play-Doh is one of the most successful children’s products ever.

                Typically, my wife Sara does not have favourites.   She does not have a favourite colour, name or place.   She likes too many things for too many reasons to have one favourite.                 Shockingly, though, she does have a favourite mug.   It was made by a Saskatchewan potter.   In fact, Sara met this woman at an art show and told her how much she liked her work and the woman gave her this mug for free!    It was beautiful and Sara treasured it.                 Last Friday night, Sara made some tea for me and, for some reason, she put it in her special mug.   I was reading at the time, so I took a sip and put the mug back on the shelf.   Then I took another sip and put the mug on the shelf.   I took another sip and I did not quite get it back on the shelf.   As soon as I let go, the mug tipped over.   I tried to grab it,

                  When I was 10 years old, I spent much of my time pretending to be someone else.   When I played road hockey, I was Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Mike Palmateer.   When I played football, I was Saskatchewan Roughrider safety Ken McEachern.   When I rode my bike, I was racing legend A. J. Foyt.                   Pretending you are someone else when you are a kid is fun.    Pretending to be someone else when you are an adult is lonely and isolating.                   Rather than be who we really are, we adopt personas so that we seem more impressive to others.   Instead of talking about how we really feel, it is tempting to put on the “I am fine” mask and keep everyone else out.   Outward appearances do not always match up with what is going on inside of us.                 Such is the case with the rich, young ruler

                A thousand years before Christ, if there was a “Most likely to succeed” vote, Saul would have won by a landslide!                   1 Samuel 9:2 introduces him by saying, “[Saul was] an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others”.   Some versions of the Bible say that he was “Young and good looking” or that “There was no one more handsome than Saul”.                   When God finally allowed Israel to have a king, the choice was obvious (1 Samuel 10).   Saul’s courage made him a good military leader (1 Samuel 11) and his popularity united the people.   Saul was strong, confident and effective.                   It is surprising, then, that when God lists the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, King Saul does not make the team.   There are several reasons

                I have two lists.   One is a list of problems and issues that I need to fix.   The other list contains all the good things in my life.   The good things list is much longer than the problems list.   However, it is the problems list that gets most of my attention.   As I listen to people, it is obvious that they are concentrated on their problems list too.                 Contrary to what we are often told, listing your blessings is not going to change your focus.   Even the most depressed person can list the things that should bring them joy.   The list is obvious!   If we want to change our perspective, we need to add another, often missing, element.                 Most of our problems come with a feeling!    We are scared, worried, angry or nervous and those feelings make the problems seem much bigger and m

                  I cannot remember a time when I have looked forward to Thanksgiving weekend as much as I am this year.   The long weekend will be nice.   Having family around will be great!   But the big reason I am looking forward to Thanksgiving is because I need it.                 Compared to what other people are going through, my life is not that difficult, but lately it has felt very busy and chaotic.   There is always something to think about, worry about, plan for or figure out.   I have been living in crisis mode just waiting for the next thing to go wrong.                 I need Thanksgiving weekend, not for the break, but for the reminder.    I need to remember that my thankful list is hundreds of times longer than my problems list.   I have been blessed beyond imagination.                   James 1:17 says, “Every

                “If we were half the church we sing about, we would be unstoppable”.                   That statement, made by a song leader at a conference I was at last year, has bothered me ever since I heard it.   Think about the words we sing so regularly.                   “If Jesus goes with me, I will go!”   Really?   We sing that but do we mean it?   To be honest, most of the time I do not want to go anywhere. I would rather stay at home and be comfortable.                 “I am mine no more.   I’ve been bought with blood.   I am mine no more.”   Really?   In reality, it seems like most people are planning their life and future with very little thought about anyone other than themselves.                 “All to Jesus I surrender!”   Really?   Then just leave your car or truck keys with me, I will sell them and us

                The church in Estevan celebrated its 100th anniversary this past weekend and it was great!                   Over the years, the congregation has grown from a small group meeting in Thomas Orr’s living room to being large enough to own property on Second Street.   In the 1930s, many moved away, and the property was sold, leaving Ann Johnson as the only member.   Then it began to grow again.    A small building was constructed on highway 47 north and the congregation began to grow again.   That original building now serves as the kitchen of our current facility.   If you put the life of this congregation on a graph, it would look like the Rocky Mountains as people came and went over and over.                 It would be nice if everything in life was straight-forward, certain and easy.   No deviations.    No distractions.   Just a straight line t

                “I do believe!   Help my unbelief!”   (Mark 9:24)                 Those words, spoken to Jesus by a man who wanted his son to be healed, are some of the most universally understood words in the entire Bible.   We want to believe but doubts and fears creep in and derail us.                   What if you were Jesus?   How would you help this man deepen his faith?   If you were like most churches, you would have given this man a book to read, a mentor to visit with or a seminar to attend.   Churches love programs!                   But what if we change the picture from spiritual things to Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park?   What if you doubt that the geyser erupts approximately every 65 minutes?                 You could read a book about Old Faithful.   You could have a scientist explain the geology and

                  Antonio de la Rosa made the news this week as he reportedly spent 76 days paddling a combination paddleboard canoe 2500 miles from California to Hawaii.                   Now, I completely understand the first ten miles.   Starting a new adventure is exciting.   I also understand the last three miles.   Completing a goal is fun!   The part I do not get is mile 1323 when he was out in the middle of the Pacific where one wave looked just like the next and progress was hard to measure.   The middle is where most people quit.                 I have seen that in church too.   Starting is fun.   Everyone cheers at baptisms.    Endings are honoured as we gather to say goodbye to Christian brothers and sisters.   It is the middle that sinks us.   In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urged the Ephesian church to live a life worthy of the

                When my mom used to make cookies, my brother, sister and I often helped by putting icing and sprinkles on them.   Along the way, one of us would always end up challenging the others to pour a bunch of sprinkles into their mouth and eat them straight up.                   Have you ever tried a mouth full of cookie sprinkles?    They are terrible!    They have no real taste or consistency.   They look nice, but without the cookie they are not worth eating.                 Over the years, I have come to believe that many people see church as being the sprinkles on their cookie.                     In other words, we like to think that we are basically good people who just need to clean up a few bad habits and we will be fine!   Church, then, becomes the place to find some sprinkles of goodness so that your normal life looks just a little be

                I have an answer for the question above.   It may not be the answer you expect, but it is true.   Consider Matthew 14.                   The chapter begins with John the Baptist’s beheading.   Verse 13 notes that “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place”.   However, the crowds followed, and he spent the day teaching and healing (verse 14).   As evening approached, Jesus miraculously fed the crowd of 5000 plus, and then told the disciples to get back in the boat while he spent some time praying (verses 15-22).                   During a stormy night, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.   Peter decided that he would like to try that too.   You likely know how that turned out (verses 28-31).                 After Peter’s rescue, we are told that, “When they climbed into the boat, the

                  I feel lonely.   Not all the time, but I feel it now more than I ever have in my life.   I felt it when our girls grew up and left home.   I felt it when close friends moved away.   I feel it when the house is empty, and I am wondering what to do with my day.                 I wonder if you feel it too.                 Actually, I know you are lonely.   I know it because you are constantly on your phone.   Every time it rings or dings, you pick it up.   You cannot wait or even stop yourself.   I know it because some of you spend hours on Facebook.   Whether you admit it or not, you are longing for connection.                   Some fill the gap by watching so much TV that the people on the shows become their vicarious friends.   Listen and you will hear them refer to reality stars, talk show hosts or news anchors

                  When doing up a dress shirt, if you do not get the first button in the right place, every other button will be wrong.                 I think the church has missed the first button.                 As groups and individuals, we do a lot of good.   We have good intentions.   We love God and we want to make disciples, but most of us are not seeing a lot of fruit.   What are we missing?                 Hospitality.                 When you read that word, you probably think about having someone over for supper.   That could be part of it, but Biblical hospitality starts with something much simpler.   It starts with an attitude.                 “I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the

                On July 20, 1969, millions of people watched as NASA landed the first men on the moon.   It was the culmination of the dream set forth by President John F. Kennedy and it was one of the most engaging and impressive feats of human achievement.                   It is also one of NASA’s biggest problems.                   You see, NASA has a great history, but what it desperately needs is an equally great and compelling future.                 It is easy to get caught looking backwards and longing for the good old days. We are drawn to the past because it is familiar.   Recently, I heard an eighty-year-old man say, “I would rather go back to being 65 years old than go on to be 95.   At least I know what 65 was like”.    The trick with the past, of course, is that you cannot go back, and you cannot recreate it today.