It was the third evening in a row I had heard the steady hum of amplified music reverberating through the night air. In North America, I would have imagined the source to be a group of teenagers grinding out their favorite tunes in a garage. But in Nicaragua it is not teenagers who make the racket. “It’s the churches,” my host explained. “We’ve got five of them in this neighborhood. And they have services six nights a week.”
Like most people, I want what I want, and I want it five minutes ago. But I know better. I know that “patience” is an important Christian virtue–no less than a “Fruit of the Spirit.” And I know that a little patience can do a lot to make life more pleasant. So I’m doing what I can to cultivate a little more patience in my life.
I've had someone suggest that our church go through John Oortberg's "Old Testament Challenge" next year. Anyone has experiences to share, good or bad? Strengths and weaknesses?
Great comments, Chris. I've struggled with the same thing in Denver. This is a challenge not only for me, but for most of my congregation. "Who is my neighbor?" is a dangerous question, but it...
I'd look into Gordon Fee's work. He has a massive tome in which he exegetes every Pauline passage ("God's Empowering Presence")--but also a shorter, more "user friendly" book called "Paul, the...
