Rick Nier...Woo!

God died for me. Say that to yourself a few times. Perhaps highlight each word in your mind...or allow me. God died for me. God died  for me. God died for  me. God died for me . I struggle to allow other people to get the check at a shared meal. Well, at least let me get the tip.  I refuse small gifts all the time, either from some false sense of deprivation or some feeling of not wanting to put the other person to any trouble. Normal gifts; a cup of water, help with a small project, time spent listening to my problems. Normal amounts: nothing life changing like a kidney transplant or buying me a home. Normal people: with apologies to people who want to feel extraordinary every single day, I'm talking about people who are basically just like me. They're not better or worse...just people. Yet I struggle to accept their gifts. So what makes me so readily willing to accept this gift of God? God, not like me in any way. Better in every way. Inconceivably more than

People on the outside of the church think Christians are hypocritical. At least, according to one survey*, 72% of people who never attend church think those who do attend church are hypocrites. Hypocrites! I've been called lots of names, but this one, for someone trying to follow God, would have to be the single worst name you could be called. I'm guessing you may have been called names as well. As insulting as any of them might have been, to be told that someone thinks you're not really doing what you say you are doing would be, should be, near the top. So, take this stat for what it’s worth, but one study found 72% of people who don’t attend church believe there is a God, but the same 72% also believe the church is full of hypocrites. I know surveys can often be skewed, but let's follow the progression here. 7 out of every 10 people say they believe in God. It might be a good God, an angry God, a disengaged God or perhaps even a disinterested God. But if these 72% of

Here's a quick recap if you're just tuning in this week. You have a bunch of people acting as if they're drunk who aren't drunk and a spokesperson explaining it as Jesus. Then you have a crowd asking what should be done about this. This begs the question of what you might do if you had the attention of a crowd and they were asking for your opinion. Now may be your one shot, your 15 minutes of fame. This opportunity set before you is golden, where you just might be able to get even half these people to listen to your advice. If there's anything you want, now is your time to mention it. So what would you say? If you are Peter in Acts 2, you are quick to focus again on Jesus. He’s kind of predictable like that! 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the

I want to play a little game. I’ll give you a scenario and you tell me what your first assumptions are. 120 people are all gathered in one place. It’s windy. Everyone starts seeing things. Then everyone starts speaking in foreign languages. They are speaking in foreign languages they didn't previously know. Another large crowd gathers. Some in the second crowd assume the first crowd is all drunk. When have you seen someone who appeared drunk, only they weren't drinking? Okay, maybe you have heard this story before, but the best part is still to come. Peter turns the focus to Jesus. “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood a

I've never been a drinker. I've never even tasted beer. It's just not an interest of mine. But, even with my inexperience now clearly stated, I want to take a guess about something. Most people don't want to be referred to as drunks. Call it a hunch or whatever, but since drunkenness is, at the very least, associated with looking stupid, I'm guessing I'm right about this. If you're with me so far, then picture this. There's a large group of people gathered. The wind is howling and all of the sudden, there's a whole lot of talking. It all sounds like nonsense to you, but everyone in the crowd seems to be understanding each other, sort of the way two different animals seem to understand each other. Then someone tapes the animals, the video goes viral and girls around the world say ' awwww !' All it would take is for some guy to come along and say how stupid the video is for girls everywhere to stand up and make a defense. This is exactly what h

We all make choices. We do. We choose and we choose, over and over again, day after day after day. From what flavor we'll brush our teeth with to what foods will dirty them all over again. From what music we will distract ourselves with while performing any myriad of tasks. From what we will say or not say to those we have chosen to visit, call or pester. We all make choices. And let's not dare question that we have a right to our choices. From what we are offended by to how we might offend others, we like having our ability to choose. Isn't that why Americans claim the prize of 'there's no better place to live'? I like living here. I just chose to use that as an example of how much we like our freedom to choose. (See what I did there? I talked about choices by choosing my words. So clever...) Tell someone they have no options and watch them squirm. Deny me of something, even if I didn't want it 5 seconds before, and now I can't get my mind off wanting

Super Bowl 49 just ended. It was the first time in my adult years that I watched this game with just my family. I normally have my guest list confirmed a year ahead of time. That would be the names of every teenager in my youth group. ( Yeah, it gets a little crowded, which is why we added a second TV this year. )  But the the Snowpocalypse hit and we were stranded, left alone to celebrate the night together.  We managed.  We watched the game. We watched the commercials. We even tuned in to the halftime show, with one finger at the ready, just in case things got out of hand. But one might question why I might be alright exposing my kids to all the media had to throw at us tonight. Well, I have an answer.  Watching the Super Bowl is a family earning experience. You tell me where else my kids are going to be exposed to the most expensive messages ($4 million is what I heard) while in the safety and proximity of their Bible-believing and discerning parents. Where and