Category Archives: On the way to Sunday’s sermon

What A Man Peeing on My Neighbor’s House Taught Me about America’s Ability to Learn God’s Holiness

Posted on August 29, 2014 by PaulVK

Anger, Disgust, Outrage So I’m driving out of the church parking lot in a rush to play taxi for my children and I see a guy standing with his back to me in that little space between the fence, the … Continue reading →

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What Backyard Tigers and Chuck-e-Cheese Bears Reveal About Our Hunger for God and the Ironic Way in which God Turns it Around

Posted on August 1, 2014 by PaulVK

Why we Hunger and Fear Glory Why are there more tigers in American back yards than in the wild? The practice of keeping exotic and dangerous animals is highly controversial. An illuminating question might be “why do we want them … Continue reading →

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Why Religion Doesn’t Work and Why God Is So Hidden

Posted on July 24, 2014 by PaulVK

Why Doesn’t Religion Work? I was a seminary student when this young man came to my church in Grand Rapids. He was in my small group and my elder district. He told me that he was unhappy but when he … Continue reading →

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Hell Hath No Fury…

Posted on July 17, 2014 by PaulVK

My “Naked” Truth This last week a Huffington Post piece went viral. It was written by Robin Korth who describes herself as an “international speaker and writer”. This description is supposed to convey status, is it not? She opens the … Continue reading →

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Sculpting our Tents in the Age of Decay for the Hope of Imperishable Glory

Posted on July 10, 2014 by PaulVK

Body Image Isn’t Just for Women Anymore Men’s Journal recently did a piece on what Hollywood leading men need to go through to make the cut. Brando never did crunches. Al Pacino didn’t slurp protein shakes. Cary Grant had never … Continue reading →

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Why Should The Cosmic Creator Invite Us to Dinner?

Posted on July 3, 2014 by PaulVK

Invitation to Dinner I’ve never received an invitation from the President of the United States for dinner. Who receives such invitations? People who the president has important business with People who the president wishes to honor People from whom the … Continue reading →

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How in Jesus Slaves Become Siblings

Posted on June 27, 2014 by PaulVK

If the Bible is Inspired, Why Didn’t God Outlaw Slavery? The question of the Bible and slavery illustrates for many people in the Western world today a foundational reason why the Bible can’t be anything but just another human creation … Continue reading →

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Why God’s Invasion of History Comes in the Shape of the Cross

Posted on June 20, 2014 by PaulVK

From Ocean Liner to Cruise Ship Skye Jethani in a blog post this week compared the modern mega-church to churches in the middle of the 20th century. Why am I talking about the history of the shipping industry? Well, I think … Continue reading →

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From Sinai to Pentecost: Do you require to be compelled or would you like to be wooed?

Posted on June 6, 2014 by PaulVK

Insufficient Evidence It is not uncommon to hear skeptics claim that believing is God is not justified. God isn’t an old man in the sky that we can point to. You cannot find on some mountain in the Middle East … Continue reading →

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How To Waste Your Life and How To Stop

Posted on May 31, 2014 by PaulVK

What Do You Want?  May is the month for commencement addresses. All over the country scholars, politicians, celebrities, teachers, and people considered to have something to say will stand up in front of graduating High School and College students to give … Continue reading →

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