• Bible Studies

    Romans 8:18-27 Future Glory

    This is the time of year when thousands of people are making predictions about the next year. Investment advisors, futurists, books about the future and innumerable articles will be written about what to expect in 2016. There is something about the future that draws us in. We want to imagine we can know what is going to happen in the next 12 months. We are fascinated about all the possible changes, disruptions and novelties that will fill our minds and attention. But, sadly, except for those who are interested in the fulfillment of prophecies and the end of the world, there are very few Christians, myself included, who meditate on…

  • Bible Studies

    Romans 7-8

    1.  In Romans 7, Paul is addressing two sets of believers. He is speaking to Gentiles who have made their own moral law the standard for being good and accepted by God. But, he is also addressing Jewish believers who have been under pressure to stay inside the Law. It is difficult for us to understand because I am not sure there is a similar situation for us. When they gave up The Law they were giving up much more than a set of rules and regulations. They were handing over their whole identity and becoming outcasts and people without a country. They were traitors to everything they knew. Dietrich…

  • Fred's Blog

    Not Throwing Away My Shot!

    My father had a life removed from us we knew little about until we were grown. It was only a few years before he died that I understood why. We talked about it on a series of trips we took as father and son when he was losing his health, and we knew it was just a matter of time before he could not travel at all. It was on our first of these trips that he told me about New York City and the Waldorf Astoria. Dad grew up in the poorest parts of Nashville, Tennessee. He was always a misfit there. While others resigned themselves to a life…

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  • Bible Studies

    Romans 6:8-23

    1.  Last week we talked about our moving permanently as refugees from one kingdom to another. “There is only one requirement and that is accepting the free gift of Christ and we are instantly, completely and irrevocably new citizens of the kingdom of life. We have given up our old identity, handed over our passport and begun a new life. There is no such thing as dual citizenship. There is no such thing as deportation. There is no such thing as extradition because God has no treaty with Death. There is no way in the world to give up our citizenship or to return to that land from which we…

  • Fred's Blog

    The Mr. Spock Prize

    My friend Randy Samelson at Counsel & Capital is funding a prize for the best annual report designed for Randy and other “left-brain” donors. I am calling it the Mr. Spock Prize, and I thought some friends might be interested in applying for the prize as well as my response to Randy’s generous initiative. Dear Randy, Thank you for sending me your proposal to sponsor a $50,000 prize for the nonprofit or church that produces the best annual report for “left-brain donors.” As you probably know, while printed annual reports represent a significant expense for nonprofits (and there are even prizes for print design and graphics), they remain unread by…