Double standard: ‘any code or set of principles containing different provisions for one group of people than for another’
The opponents of Christianity are right. We do have a double standard. There’s no doubt about it. Some might not realize it or know it, but the double standard is actually taught explicitly in the Bible. The Bible teaches us very clearly that we should have a different of standards for dealing with Christians vs non-Christians.
Read More
"The Church is a hospital, and not a courtroom, for souls.” St. John Chrysostom
If such is truly the case, then we need to take an honest look at how we (the Church) are doing at welcoming and accepting people from all walks of life and with various “spiritual ailments”.
In this month’s episode of Bringing An Ancient Faith to a Modern World, we discuss how we can influence a culture of inclusion in our churches and help make them the safest places on the planet for people to approach.
Read MoreLast week, in part 1 of Living Hospitality, we saw the importance for personal hospitality and how our hospitality is connected to judgment and the end times. This week, we look at how that same principle applies to US - the church.
What role does/should hospitality play in our weekly gatherings? What are the consequences if we do/don’t practice it? And what are some simple ways that we can make our churches more hospitable?
Read More
"Your wife is so sweet... your wife is such an angel... your wife is the nicest person I've ever met."
That's Marianne – my lovely wife – and those are the comments that I usually hear from people describing her. And those who know her understand why. She really is the nicest person ever. She is sweet, she is kind, she is gracious and she is generous. She is the pillow to my sword and she really is the best!
BUT....(all the husbands out there need to pray for me because I am risking my life here with this next sentence).... at times my wife reminds me of a gorilla (may God help me!).
Read MoreOur latest series at The Well is called FAMILY MATTERS and as the name suggests, it's all about family - CHURCH FAMILY!
Church isn't about a building or a weekly gathering. We are a family and what unites us is stronger than blood. But what does it mean to be part of this particular family (STSA)? What makes our family so special and unique? And what's my role in fulfilling the mission of our family - that is "bringing an ancient faith to a modern world"?
That's our topic and we'll take a look at our 10 core values and see how those values define what it means to be a member of the family. Enjoy!!!
Read More
It’s that time of day – time for your favorite cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop. You love their coffee, but you hate their prices. Now imagine there’s a new invention in coffee mugs and the first ever “smart” mug comes into existence (it’s just a matter of time before everything is smart and human beings remain as the only dumb thing left on the planet).
A “smart” mug is a coffee mug that turns any regular coffee into your favorite store-bought, brand name coffee. All you have to do is program the mug by pouring your favorite blend in there once and then after that, the mug will automatically turn any coffee into a virtual replica of your favorite brand.
How great would that be? How much money would you save by just making regular coffee and pouring it into this fancy new mug? This would be the coolest mug in the universe and everyone would want to drink coffee out of this mug, right?
But imagine the mug has a problem – not a big problem, just a little one. The mug has a small hole in the bottom of it. It works great and performs all that it promises to perform; the only problem is that it drips scalding hot coffee from the bottom of the cup onto the person who is drinking from it.
Not a big deal, right? Just a small problem, right? Would you use that cup?
Read More
On June 25, 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court made two historic decisions on gay marriage. First, it ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional because it denies benefits to same-sex couples. Second, it denied an appeal to a federal court ruling that struck down California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
These decisions on gay marriages are causing many heated emotions to surface. There’s some who are joyful, some apathetic and some furiously angry at this defeat. Is this a call to surrender all our unconditional love for others or is this a wake-up call for introspection? I’m not writing to discuss the details of this ruling or to talk about all the intricacies of how someone becomes homosexual. I would like to present an opportunity to you.
Read More