How to Bless in the Name of Jesus
The blessing of Jesus is not dependant on our situation. It is not dependant on material possessions, or power, or prestige. It infiltrates these things and transforms them from the inside. Some of us get…
Building the Kingdom
We tend to talk about building the kingdom and expanding the kingdom. I use that language fairly often, and I don’t disagree with it. But, there is a sense of understanding the kingdom as something…
Book Nearing Completion
I wanted to have it done over a year ago. But alas, it is nearly done. One more chapter and the conclusion, and then off to get it edited. My goal is to have it…
Mammon or God
Mammon is a genuine rival to God. We must choose one or the other: Mammon or God. ((Mammon, as define by Os Guinness, refers to money when it assumes an inordinate place in our lives…
What Is God’s Calling For My Life?
Note: this is a summary of a sermon I preached from Jeremiah 1. You can listen to it on the Bergen Church website. If you have begun to follow Jesus and trust in him, you…
Practice What You Preach
You have heard the saying. Practice what you preach! We say it to someone we are judging as hypocritical. Someone who is telling people to behave a certain way, even though the person doing the…
The Easter Message I Didn’t Preach
Last Sunday I was scheduled to preach, so I prepared a short Resurrection Sunday message. But then I became ill and was unable to preach that sermon. So, I thought, I may as well share what…
Book Review: The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis
Pope Francis has made his mark as a man of compassion and mercy, spending time with prisoners, outcasts, and those who may have unfortunately been considered enemies of the Christian church. In his short book,…
Why We Bought a House in Bergen
That’s right. We bought a house. We are as surprised as you are, but only because it seemed so far from possible. In another sense, though, we are not surprised at all. It has been…
Review of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
There are only a few people throughout recent history that we can honestly say have had a profound and lasting impact on our everyday life. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Howard Hughes are…
Book Review: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Who can imagine a catastrophic event causing worldwide devastation spanning thousands of years, causing humanity to pursue previously unthinkable survival strategies? In a profoundly complex and unpredictable way, Neal Stephenson does just that, while combining…
Resolutions for 2016
NOTE: This is an edited manuscript from a sermon I preached last Sunday. For many of us, this time of year marks a time of reflection and anticipation. We reflect on the past year and…