In reading the current November/December edition of Holiness Today on human sexuality, you may find yourself asking, “What has happened that caused us to be considering the issues we are facing both in society and the church?” For some, the temptation to withdraw from difficult topics of conversation might appear to be the safer and more appealing alternative. Others find it invigorating to engage in current issues that spark debate. Either way, Paul’s words to the church in Rome have a way of guiding us as we navigate these and other issues of our ever-changing world.

"Then He said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions'" (Luke 12:15, NIV).

This passage from Luke 12 seems almost counterintuitive, but that should not surprise us since Jesus consistently finds ways to disrupt the “normal” patterns of our lives. A worldly message with which many of us are familiar goes something like this: work hard, accumulate possessions, defeat the competition, and enjoy all the lovely perks of wealth.

However, Jesus does not advocate for that approach in this passage.

No warning. One moment everything was fine as I traveled to work. The next second a tremendous jolt changed my life. Surely it had only been a few minutes since I'd kissed my wife Erin and two-year-old son Peyton good-bye and had left for work. I tried to think about them, think about anything but the pain exploding from my back into my chest. As I lie still, my heart was drawn to the Lord. "Dear God, help!" I begged.

Though a few mainline denominations may overemphasize the sacrament of baptism, some Nazarenes today neglect this historic means of grace.

For a previous generation of Nazarenes, a trip to the mourners' bench assumed a sacramental status that tended to make baptism a seldom-used organ in the Body of Christ. Few people realized that the 'altar call' was a modern innovation in the church, originating in the nineteenth century. The only invitation to the altar earlier centuries of Christians knew was sharing the celebration of Communion.

Sometimes, when I watch my granddaughters playing with each other, I reflect on this saying of Jesus: “the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” In what sense do these two little children belong to His Kingdom? What makes our children unique? What characteristics of children fit the reality that goes beyond this world?

David Argabright's idea for what to focus his life on didn't start in 2002 when he noticed that he was covered in his own sweat and blood, while quarantined in a rural Argentina clinic, but it did clarify his focus.

"I have an empty picture frame on my desk that once held my ordination credential. I never thought I would lose it, but who does? I sinned, lost my reputation and ministry, was arrested, placed on probation, and became financially bankrupt." The tragedy, like dragging a cloud over a sun-filled day, was felt in the broken hearts of a spouse and children, in the sinking gut of every other pastor, and in the wounded pride of laypeople betrayed by a minister. It is not that moral failure was inevitable, but rather that godliness was deferred.

Q: What causes some people to hear things contrary to their opinion and think, "Maybe I have something to learn, even if I don't agree," while others think, "How dare you challenge my belief system?"

In the early 1960s, my wife, Elsie, and I attended Grace Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City. Melvin Shrout, and his wife, Marcella, were the pastors of Grace church. As years passed, we became best of friends. They had one adopted son, Stanley.

In 1976, the general assembly of the Church of the Nazarene amended its Tenth Article of Faith describing the distinguishing doctrine of the denomination, entire sanctification:

"We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace" (Manual 2005-2009, 35).