Photo on blogspot.com There was a USA Today article the other day that caught my attention. It described how so many NFL (National Football League) players go bankrupt after their career is over. The sobering statistic was that the average football player’s career last only 3.5 years. This means that after […]
The Discipline of Gratitude
Photo on beliefnet.com We have all heard the adage that states, “We need an attitude of gratitude.” I am realizing that having a grateful heart does not come easily. Simply, it is not natural. In fact, it is something that has to be trained in a person. No one is born […]
The Blame is Always on the Leader
Photo on guardian.co.uk In John Maxwell’s book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, he writes, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This principle is seen in every major area of life. If a family is struggling, then there is some connection with the husband not taking responsibility of leading his […]
The Funny Thing about Labels
Photo by ridelust.com I love breaking down people’s preconceived notions of things. I love it when people say, “Pastor Seth, when I first met you, I thought you were….” It is so innate for us to make judgments on people and things just from the externals. This just proves how different […]
God Works and So Do We
Photo on regex.info Recently in my prayer time, God put a phrase in my heart – “Let God do the saving, while you do the serving.” I am constantly reminded of the paradox of God’s Sovereignty and human responsibility. We cannot have one without the other. If we only have one, […]
Some Shifts in Christianity
Photo by psdgraphics.com It is interesting to note the various shifts that have occurred in Christianity throughout the centuries. A pendulum that swings back and forth until it comes to a halt in the middle can be a good imagery of some of the shifts. In fact, shifts are good because […]
Reverse Culture Shock
Photo by Dias Dos Reis I have always heard about people experiencing “reverse culture shock” when they returned to their primary culture after spending some time away. I never fully comprehended their experience or feelings, even though I went on many missions trips for 3-4 weeks at a time. But now, […]
Leaving Indonesia
The day is finally here. It is hard to believe that our family has been here for 12 months. As we were eating our final meal in Indonesia, the family and I spent some time sharing some memories throughout this past year. We laughed a lot and we felt so blessed that God gave […]
Transitioning the Teams
Photo by worldofstock.com It has been great having the new Jakarta Team here in Indonesia. Even though we have been together for only a week, we have been able to bond quickly together. Recently, our team, along with the new team went away to a retreat center to pray together and […]
Reminders from the Fishing Story
Photo on oceanchampions.org This week, I re-read a portion of Max Lucado’s book, He Still Moves Stones: Everyone Needs a Miracle. It was a good reminder of several principles that I try to live by. Here is a excerpt from Lucado’s book: Most mornings Peter and his partners would sell their […]
Myths About Marriage
Photo by nara.gov of the Gores, May 19th, 1970 In light of the shocking news of Al and Tipper Gore’s divorce, I was thinking, “how can a couple get a divorce after 40 years of marriage?!” In all news accounts and some personal testimonies from people who know the Gores well, […]
Read the Fine Print
Photo by Dot Communications I don’t know about you, but I have zero tolerance for false advertisement. Some companies and corporations are very sneaky to put it mildly. They will advertise in their eye-catching ads about a huge sale or a real bargain, but when you walk in to the store, […]
Dr. Wayne Grudem
I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Wayne Grudem while I attended seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Not only did I study all my Systematic Theology with him, but I also took some elective classes that he taught in different semesters. There are two fond memories of him that […]
The Greater Witness
One thing great about Indonesia is the amount of holidays they have here due to religious observances. There is definitely a lot of tolerance for the various religions because everyone is trying to live in peace with one another. Couple of days ago was Ascension Day (commemorating the day that Jesus […]