Practical Application

The Hardest Thing

Baseball. No need to ponder, dig deep in the confines of my brain or compare notes; hands down… baseball, that’s what I thought. That’s the hardest thing I had ever done, by far. For most, the answer was sort of a letdown, particularly if they were privy to my sordid past. But, for all my colorful endeavors, it came down to the “national pastime.” The hardest thing  Nothing, absolutely nothing, can compare in degree of difficulty to hitting a round ball thrown by an expert hurler standing on a small hill 60 feet six inches from me with my only […]

-Read More


Welcome One Another

Robert Jewett succumbed to Covid-19 on December 4th. His students called him Dr. or Prof. Jewett while friends and colleagues just called him Bob, extraordinary Bob. Jewett’s most monumental work was a massive volume titled Romans: A Commentary (2006). This 1140 page tome took him 25 years to research and write. Fortunate for us slow readers, he subsequently published Romans: A Short Commentary in 2013. Prof. Jewett – Bob – teaches us today through his fresh and relevant insights into the Apostle Paul’s most important epistle. Surprisingly, Jewett pinpoints the heart of Romans in chapter 15, verse 7: “Welcome one […]

-Read More


THE GREATEST APOLOGETIC – The Deepest Desire of the Human Heart

As we launch out into a brand-new year together, let’s return to our focus on apologetics, which is rooted in the Bible’s command to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). The greatest apologetic I believe that the most powerful apologetic in the world speaks to the deepest longing of the human heart: To be fully known and completely loved. This makes the Gospel, the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest apologetic […]

-Read More


Hope Will Not Disappoint

Do you remember where you were December 31, 2019? If you’re anything like me, you were more than ready for a fresh start. You were ready to crush some new goals, visit new places, spend that heavily-depended-upon paycheck a little more wisely, seal off some disappointments from the previous year and basically get your life together. Or at least a little more together than the year before.    Every New Year’s Eve, I am hopeful. Hopeful for something new. Hopeful for change. Hopeful for progress. And there is indeed progress, but inevitably, every year I ride the wave of unmet […]

-Read More


Time To Dance In The Garden

2020 started with a worship service in downtown Miami led by Kanye West and the Sunday Service Choir and ended with me listening to the same choir singing “Emmanuel,” God with us and “That’s How the Good Lord Works.” A nice bookend to a very strange year. I know that many of us will look at 2020 and simply say, “Good riddance,” a nice way of saying goodbye and I hope we never meet again. However, I believe, though painful, many will look back and see God’s presence and handiwork. I am not sure what we all learned (or are […]

-Read More


The Promise of Christmas

“For the word of God will never fail” (Luke 1:37 NLT).   For far too many even in the church today, Christmas has declined into little more than “gift-giving” and “get-togethers.” The questions that are foremost in the minds of many are, “What did you get? What did I get?” Well, throughout the month of December, I would like you to consider this question: What is the most glorious promise of Christmas? To be sure, there are many promises that are expressed through the Babe in the manger, but there is one that rises above all the rest, and that […]

-Read More


Freaking Out

I am assuming that you are either experiencing profound peace or a level of anxiety and freaking out that you find almost unbearable. Perhaps your reality is dictating these emotions. You are deeply devoted to your country, your church, your career, your circle of friends etc. However, your emotions are affected by the latest news, a text, a conversation, something you read or simply what side of the bed you woke up on. Sometimes these thoughts and feelings may vary by the hour. Therefore, how in the world are we supposed to lead a normal, healthy and somewhat meaningful life, […]

-Read More


Freedom

Les‘s article on freedom  in last month’s Good News made me start thinking about the importance of understanding what it means to be free in Christ. I know Les was making the point that freedom in Christ is not a license to do anything we want, and because of current noise from the world we live in, I think it is even more important that Christians be able to explain to those around them how our world view is at times directly opposite from those in our work place, neighbors, friends and even family members. So I thought I would […]

-Read More


Nourish Your Nazareth

My love for music started at a young age. I loved the melodies, harmonies and tones. Music was just something that caught my attention no matter where I was or what situation I was in. There would even be times where in the middle of a dream, I’d conjure up a melody. Some of those melodies I still remember today. Because of this love for music, I got to end up in interesting situations, but never in a million years did I ever imagine myself being where I am today. Basically, I never thought I’d be using music for the […]

-Read More


Church Connect: A New Opportunity Emerges

Forty years ago, South Floridians across hundreds of different ethnic backgrounds, race and life stages gathered to hear one of the icon evangelical figures to this day. They listened intently as Evangelist Billy Graham passionately commanded the attention of those in Lockhart Stadium as he gracefully pointed them towards Jesus Christ. Thousands were saved. Fast forward 20 years and you’ll find over 300,000 South Floridians gathered across the beach in Fort Lauderdale to participate in one of this community’s largest evangelistic efforts to-date: BeachFest. Thousands were saved.    Church Connect: A New Opportunity Emerges Alongside hundreds of other local churches, […]

-Read More