Iconic, part 1: Who Do You Say He Is?

Who do you say Jesus is? That question isn’t new. Jesus asked it of His disciples nearly 2,000 years ago, and it’s still the most important question any person will ever answer. One of the fascinating realities of our culture is that everyone likes Jesus. Even people who reject Christianity almost always admire Him. They appreciate His compassion, His wisdom, His concern for the poor, and His teachings about love and forgiveness. Muslims honor Jesus as a prophet. Secular people...

What is praying in the spirit?

The Biblical phrase “praying in the spirit” is often defined different ways by different people. For Charismatic Christians—people who believe the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are still in operation today—this term is usually synonymous with praying in tongues. They believe that Christians can have a sort of “prayer language” where their spirit is praying in an unknown language, bypassing their natural understanding, and their spirit communicates directly with God’s Spirit. For cessationists—people who believe gifts...

I Triple Dog Dare You!

I was warped at an early age. But it was the good kind of warping. My parents made my brother and I memorize scripture as young children. There’s a story that has reached legendary status in the Nunnally family that tells of my then four-year-old older brother being asked what his name was by a stranger at the beach. He replied, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Classic. One of the verses I memorized as a...

God Likes You

Do you remember in grade school when someone would pass a “do you like me – check yes or no” note to someone they liked? Well guess what? If you passed the note to God, He would check “yes.” God likes you. Read that statement again. Do you really believe it? Do you merely agree with it in theory or has it worked its way into your heart? Christians have heard that God loves us. We’ve been taught that regularly...

Why I Don’t Live For Jesus Anymore

I need to let everyone know that don’t live for Jesus anymore. Don’t worry – I’m still a Christian and follower of Jesus! However, I have a real problem with the phrase “living for Jesus.” I’ve heard it everywhere in Christendom – songs, sermons, testimonies. I’ve been in services where the altar call invited people to come down front and declare that they will do a better job of “living for Jesus.” I understand the idea of living for Jesus...

Connect the Dots

I’ve never been much of an Art History buff, but Pointillism has always fascinated me. Its a painting technique where, instead of actually painting an object, the artist gives the impression of the object using many small dots. One of my favorite scenes in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is where Ferris and crew visit the Chicago Museum of Art. One of the images that has always stuck with me is where Cameron is looking at “A Sunday Afternoon...

The Secret to Christianity

Have you ever wondered if there is some secret to Christianity that you haven’t uncovered yet? Maybe you see other Christians hearing from God all the time, confident in their faith and doing great while you feel like you’re barely getting by. Some believers feel like they’re on the outside looking in. Everybody else “gets it” while they struggle. Everyone else wears their Christianity like a perfectly sized coat while their spiritual clothes just don’t fit right. So many people...