By Joel A. Hess - Sell all your stuff and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Seriously! I’m not sure most people take Jesus’ response to the rich young man seriously. The guy asks a valid question. Bravo to this kid. What do I have to do to inherit eternal … Continue reading Sell all your stuff and give to the poor!
By Joel A. Hess - That’s really all you want to know, right? What’s the rule, Pastor? What can I do? What can’t I do? Just tell me, and I’ll do it. Just say it. Or, is this is a good reason? What if he does this? What if she does that? This is not … Continue reading So can I get divorced or not?
By Joel A. Hess - You can get morality anywhere Recently our Christian day school board discussed plans for marketing our wonderful product to our community. What sets our school apart from other similar enterprises? We pursue excellence in education, but so do others. Some might say that a Christian day school offers higher expectations regarding … Continue reading You can get Morality at any School
By Joel A. Hess - This past week I had the pleasure of talking to a young lady at a bar about Jesus. She wanted to talk about President Trump. She said she was studying the heartland, the Midwest, to find out how in the world we all could vote for him. Yes, she blatantly … Continue reading Only Tool in the Toolbox
By Joel A. Hess - As I left my beautiful call in Northern Michigan to serve God’s people in Chicago, many of my brothers in Christ asked me about who their next pastor might be. I told them that the right guy won’t necessarily be just like me. Thank God! I have plenty of flaws … Continue reading Church! Don’t put up with Poor Preachers
By Joel A. Hess - A couple of weeks ago I attended a very sad funeral. It was for a boy who took his own life, as teenage boys sometimes violently and impulsively do when they think they are backed into a corner. The room was packed with kids, family, friends. They all knew he … Continue reading Preachers, shoot that elephant!
By Joel A. Hess - Cover-up, cover-up, cover-up! It seems that every week a new scandal in the Church is revealed. A couple of weeks ago, Willow Creek revealed the creepy behaviors of its leader. Sadly, this past week no one was shocked to be told of a massive cover-up of pedophile priests. To be … Continue reading The Church can afford to be transparent
