Posts by Bob Lepine (Page 12)

Dear Friends, Last week I had a chance to speak to a group of remarkable young people and their families. I was in San Antonio for the final day of competition between participants in the National Bible Bee. I spent most of the day listening to teens and pre teens reciting large chunks of scripture, word perfect. At the end of the day, I watched as a young woman received an award of $50,000 and an additional $60,000 college scholarship…

Dear Friends, I know Christmas isn’t here yet. But I’m already starting to think about 2019. And I’m thinking about 200 short conversations I want each one of us to have in the new year. That’s about four short conversations every week. Four weekly conversations I’ll be prodding you to have with your children or with your spouse or with a good friend. 200 short conversations that I believe can radically impact every aspect of your life in the coming…

Dear Friends, None of us deserves God’s favor. The very definition of grace is that it is undeserved and unearned. I hope that’s not a new idea for you. Our understanding of God’s grace is foundational to our understanding of the gospel, the central message of our faith. But let’s be honest. Somewhere, over and over again in the back of our minds, there is a tape playing that tells us “you really do deserve God’s favor more than most.”…

Dear Friends, The annual day we have set aside to pause and purposefully give thanks for the many blessings we experience is upon us.  Mary Ann shared with me a video from a church in North Carolina that you may have seen already.  It’s a great reminder of how easily we take our daily blessings for granted.  You can click here to watch.  Sometimes the day of thanksgiving can become, shall we say, “less than festive” when dinner table discussions turn to current events…

Dear Friends, Our study of Esther this fall has had us exploring the question of what it looks like to live lives of faithfulness to God in a pagan culture.  I think you’d agree that the subject is relevant in our day. A few weeks ago, I referenced what I think is a key New Testament text on this subject.  It’s from the Apostle Peter, who told believers in his day (and in our day as well) to “abstain from the passions…

Dear Friends, “But some doubted.” That phrase jumped out at me this week as I heard someone reading the familiar “Great Commission” verses from the end of Matthew’s gospel. Usually, people will start reading at vs. 19, where Jesus declares to His disciples that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (a comforting reminder on the day after an election). But on this occasion, we backed up and read the verses that set up Jesus’…

Dear Friends, Most people today who are visiting a local church come with a consumer mindset or orientation. They make decisions about where to worship based on the amenities and the services offered. Is the nursery well staffed and clean? Check. Do they have a good youth group? Check. How’s the worship team? Check. Is the preacher a good speaker? Check. Do I like the color of the carpet in the sanctuary? Check, check, check. Years ago a former pastor…

Dear Friends, Eugene Peterson’s father was a butcher. He had a shop right off of Main Street in Kalispell Montana, just a few blocks from where the family lived. Eugene used to accompany his father to the shop, and as he tells in his book The Pastor, he learned much about ministry by watching how his father cared for his parishioners. They never congregated for corporate worship, but the local butcher shop was a part of the Kalispell community. “I…