Whenever a plane goes down, there is inevitably a news story about the people who were supposed to be on the plane but weren'teither because their alarm didn't go off or there was a traffic jam or they switched travel plans at the last minute. When we hear stories like that, we Christians tend to say, "Wow! Isn't God good!?" We say that a lot"Isn't God good!?" when we hear...

It has been said that the only thing constant is change. Think about the number of things that have changed over the course of your life. Take the way I'm composing this article, for instance. I'm using a word processor on the computer. If, make that when, I make a mistake, all I have to do is hit the backspace button a few times and correct my errors. In the old days, t...

I know what you're thinking. How is that different than any other sermon Jared has preached? But I assure you, this time will be different. This Sunday, instead of focusing on what we know about God, I want to think about how much we don't know about God. I figure I am just as qualified as anyone to talk about things no one knows anything about. Throughout this sermon ser...

A 747 jetliner was halfway across the Atlantic when the captain got on the loudspeaker and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have lost one of our engines, but we can still reach London with the three we have left. Unfortunately, this will make us one hour late.” An hour later the captain made another announcement, “Sorry, but we lost another engine....

Mothers’ Day is coming up this Sunday. It’s a time to express love and appreciation to our mothers, which of course we should do often, not just on this particular day. Mothers’ Day evokes an outpouring of sentiment for our mothers, expressed through cards, flowers, a nice meal out, and a phone call if you and your mother are separated by distance. When sentiment...

Some ago I went to the doctor for help with some sharp pain in my neck. The doctor ordered an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). This procedure is a noninvasive medical test that physicians use to diagnose medical conditions....

What you believe about God determines how you will live, what you live for, and why. It determines how you view yourself and others and how you interact with them. It determines your ethics and priorities and sense of reverence and gratitude or the lack thereof....

What comes to mind when you hear the word “hospitality”? Maybe you think of hosting dinner parties, or Martha Stewart. Maybe hospitality means always having home-baked cookies and fresh-squeezed lemonade on standby in case someone drops by. Or, maybe you’ve been thinking about hospitality in the church context. ...

If you read last week’s article, the following story will sound familiar: Once upon a time was a very wise, gentle, and loving king, who ruled over his land with great skill. The people loved him very much. And as this king grew older, he had to determine who would rule in his place as an honest and loving king....

Once upon a time there was a very wise, gentle, and loving king, who ruled over his land with great skill. The people loved him very much. And as this king grew older, he had to determine who would rule in his place as an honest and loving king. He had three sons from which to choose. Making the right decision would not be easy....