JOE LAGUARDIA: The Spirit works in people many different ways
I remember the first time I got a taste of the charismatic movement inspired by the Brownsville and Toronto revivals of the mid-1990s. I was walking into a family friend's healthfood store and interrupted the friend and another person in prayer. She looked up at me and said, "Hi, Joe, we're glad you're here. Come and catch my friend as I pray for her."
JOE LAGUARDIA: Seek more of God, less of self in the coming new year
I like easy Christmases. You know, a Christmas with little or no fanfare -- simple Christmases with few bumps and issues.I knew trouble was on its way when I found out on Christmas Eve that a lasagna I was baking was the main entree for that evening's supper. To have it as the main course put undo pressure on my Italian cooking skills. It became inconvenient and a burden.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Make Christmas a time to reach your greatest potential in Christ
Embedded deep in the book of Revelation -- chapter 12 to be precise -- there is a scene that paints a very different picture of Christmas morning and the birth of Christ. John, the recipient of Jesus' revelation, records a vision in which he sees what appears to be a woman clothed with the sun. She is pregnant and about to give birth.
JOE LAGUARDIA: As Christians, we are 'little Christs' called to spread word of God's salvation
"And they shall name him Emmanuel" (Matt. 1:23).
JOE LAGUARDIA: As Christians, we are 'little Christs' called to spread word of God's salvation
There is something in a name. We at Trinity Baptist know a thing or two about the importance of names. Recently, we heard a rumor that Trinity was changing its name to Grace Christian Church. Although the rumor is not true, there is a church by that same name meeting in our building on Sundays after we meet for worship. Their sign on our front lawn is pretty effective, to say the least.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Even in hard times, Advent points to the light of Christmas
In the Nov. 29 issue of The Christian Century, the Reverend Bill Goetler writes about a homeless man, Danny, whom he befriended one winter season. Bill writes about Danny's comings and goings and their random meetings in the neighborhood.. In their happenstance meetings in the neighborhood, Danny asks for things
JOE LAGUARDIA: Ask your pastor what he wants for Christmas
Every Christmas season many parishioners go to the their local retail or book stores and wrestle with that all-important question: "What do I get my pastor?" Well, I'm glad you asked.. I can hopefully help you, dear reader, narrow down some great gift ideas for your beloved clergy
JOE LAGUARDIA: Seeing Christ in ourselves allows us to see Christ in others
I'm sure most of my readers know by now that I am a movie nut. My daughter takes after me, so, now that she is almost 8 years old, I thought it appropriate that we watch one of my favorite childhood movies together, "The Neverending Story.". "The Neverending Story"
JOE LAGUARDIA: Seeing Christ in ourselves allows us to see Christ in others
I'm sure most of my readers know by now that I am a movie nut. My daughter takes after me, so, now that she is almost 8 years old, I thought it appropriate that we watch one of my favorite childhood movies together, "The Neverending Story."
JOE LAGUARDIA: Some find Common English Bible's Greek translations puzzling, regrettable
The new Bible translation, the Common English Bible, published by a variety of mainline Protestant denominations, is said to rival the New Revised Standard Version in accuracy and usage. As readers get deeper into the translation, however, some find a few nuances puzzling or regrettable.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Some find Common English Bible's Greek translations puzzling, regrettable
The new Bible translation, the Common English Bible, published by a variety of mainline Protestant denominations, is said to rival the New Revised Standard Version in accuracy and usage. As readers get deeper into the translation, however, some find a few nuances puzzling or regrettable.. One such nuance is the
LAGUARDIA: Weekly church attendance marks a special moment when God moves in our lives
A recent Christian Century article asks the question as to whether someone can be saved without having to go to church. Although the answer to this seems obvious -- a person can be saved anywhere, lest the Gideons be out of business -- this question is actually more compelling than it might seem at first.Christians talk about the "unchurched," but what do we do about "unchurched" Christians?
JOE LAGUARDIA: Christ's calm allows us to see the bigger picture
The second verse of the enduring hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness," states, "Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth." There is something to be said about peace, especially in a society in which peace is difficult to find.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Christ's calm allows us to see the bigger picture
The second verse of the enduring hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness," states, "Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth." There is something to be said about peace, especially in a society in which peace is difficult to find.. Peace can mean many different things. It could point
JOE LAGUARDIA: Autumn is a time to re-awaken our sense of God's presence
In early October, I had the privilege of worshiping in the sixth oldest church in Georgia -- Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church. It is home to some good friends of ours whom we visit several times a year. This was my family's annual October trip, a time to enjoy changing leaves
LAGUARDIA: Don't miss the daily treasures offered by loved ones
A short story by John Connolly is about a recently widowed gentleman who visits a hotel room that he and his wife of 46 years frequented every year.. As the story goes, he falls asleep on the easy chair and wakes up to find a red suitcase that belonged to
JOE LAGUARDIA: Divine meaning can be found in suffering, hardships
Tucked in the middle of the book of Acts, somewhere around the 14th chapter, is a story about Paul's mission trip to Lystra. There, he miraculously heals a man who couldn't walk from birth. The locals claimed that Paul was a god, and they worshiped him against his will.. That
JOE LAGUARDIA: Involve God in all aspects of children's lives
Jesus once told his disciples, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs" (Mt. 19:14 NRSV). Although we know that Jesus has a special place in his heart for children, it is rather difficult for us to include children in a life of faith in creative and positive ways.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Be a radical disciple: help the poor in your neighborhood
In his bestselling book "Radical," David Platt encourages readers to engage in radical missions by downsizing, traveling to underdeveloped countries, and risking economic stability for the sake of the Gospel.. He argues that one's search for the American Dream can hinder the "downward mobility" Jesus advocates when he tells
JOE LAGUARDIA: Find joy by giving all to God
Although I was a young boy at the time, I remember all the excitement when Robert Ballard discovered the underwater remains of the HMS Titanic in 1985. Ballard invested everything he had for seven long years before he found it.. Have you ever longed for something so much that you
LAGUARDIA: We should be mindful of how we speak to others
Now that we are well under way in the 2012 election, we will experience a barrage of political rancor that has become all too ubiquitous in our civil discourse. In an election, as in any political process, words matter.. Where would we be without the power of words? Ours is
JOE LaGUARDIA: Feeding hungry crowds
"He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples." (Matthew 14:19-20a).
JOE LAGUARDIA: There is something special about writing in cursive
It's official: Cursive is no longer required in Georgia schools. You may already know that, but I only found out last week. No cursive, no penmanship? Really?
JOE LAGUARDIA: Nothing can replace King James
As the 400th birthday of the King James Version of the Bible comes and goes this year, several new Bibles are hitting stores to offer "fresh" translations to a timeless word. Whether these newbies will find a captive audience and dominate the Bible market as did the KJV is yet to be determined.
JOE LaGUARDIA: Weeds teach us that it really isn't our business to judge
I told my wife that we were finally going to cultivate a beautiful garden this year.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Song reminds us how intimately God longs to be with each of us
I can't pinpoint any one embarrassing moment in my life, but I can say with all confidence that attending the movies with my parents was a comprehensive experiment in the art of embarrassment.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Christianity rises, falls on our faith
It has been a week since the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship met in its annual General Assembly in Tampa, Fla. The Fellowship, which is made up mostly of moderate Baptists representing nearly 1,800 churches and hundreds of organizations, met two weeks after the Southern Baptist Convention had its own annual convention in Phoenix.
JOE LAGUARDIA: We all bring our own biases
Although it's been two weeks since churches celebrated Pentecost, we are still in need of a fresh Pentecost spirit to enliven and embolden a richly diverse and creative body of Christ.
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