One day a fly was buzzing by a spider web in an old house. The web was bright and shiny and seemed to be an attractive place for the fly to rest. The crafty spider had thoroughly cleaned his web after each “customer” so that the other flies would not get suspicious, yet this particular fly was quite … [Read more...] about What if Everybody Else is Wrong?
Pastor Dan's Blog
The Danger of Apatheism
The teacher asked her class, “Which is a bigger problem in our society, ignorance or apathy?” One smart mouth student replied, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” I would submit that apathy is the bigger problem facing the Christian church today. A seemingly growing number of people simply “don’t … [Read more...] about The Danger of Apatheism
The Stain of Guilt
William Shakespeare’s classic play Macbeth focuses on the struggle with guilt experienced by Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. The two had conspired and killed King Duncan in order to seize the throne. Yet, they cannot enjoy their new power because of the guilt they feel. Macbeth … [Read more...] about The Stain of Guilt
Reflections on Twenty-Five Years
Sunday, August 5, will mark the 25th anniversary of my becoming the Senior Pastor of Chisholm Baptist Church. On August 3, 1993, Nancy and I (along with our two oldest boys, the two youngest had not been born) left our home outside of Poplar, WI, followed a big U-Haul van, and headed north for the … [Read more...] about Reflections on Twenty-Five Years
The Most Powerful Symbol
In recent years, groups like the Freedom from Religion Foundation have enjoyed significant success in efforts to remove what they consider to be “religious displays” from public buildings in our country. However, in certain parts of Europe, the winds are blowing in the opposite direction. One … [Read more...] about The Most Powerful Symbol
We Don’t Know What Will Happen
There is story about a Jewish rabbi in nineteenth century Russia who crossed a village square every morning on his way to the synagogue to pray. One morning, a large Russian soldier, who happened to be in a vile mood, accosted him, saying, “Hey, rabbi, where are you going?” The rabbi simply said, “I … [Read more...] about We Don’t Know What Will Happen
Not All Maps Can Be Trusted
In the spring of 1879, Lieutenant George De Long and his crew set out on the USS Jeannette in hopes of claiming the North Pole for the United States. No one had ever been to the North Pole before, but many of the leading geographers and scientists at that time believed the top of the world was … [Read more...] about Not All Maps Can Be Trusted
Finding Hope in the Cross
The great Russian writer, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, tells of a dark moment in his life when he felt all hope and reason for living were gone. As a prisoner in a Soviet prison camp, he worked twelve hours a day at hard labor. He wasn’t getting much to eat, and before too long, he had become very … [Read more...] about Finding Hope in the Cross