Author: Jon Gauger

So I had a conversation today with a new friend from East Africa.  Happened to be Somalian.  As is my habit, I immediately asked him (nicely, mind you) if he was a follower of Mohammed.  When he answered yes, I smiled back saying (boldly, mind you) “Well I am a follower of Jesus.” Very predictably, the conversation turned quickly to the person of Jesus.  He affirmed what every other Muslim I've talked to about Christ affirms—that he was a notable prophet. My friend went to great lengths to be polite—but even greater lengths to assure me that Islam and Christianity…

Have you ever had a natural gas leak in your home or office? Gas leaks can be deadly, you know.  They are invisible, they are poisonous, and left untreated, they can kill with deadly force. It's the same with church cliques. They are invisible, they are poisonous, and left untreated, they can kill with deadly force. The problem is, lots of people claim they can identify a clique at their church…but almost NOBODY would ever admit to being a part of one. So let me offer this three-part exam to help you assess yourself. Number 1: If you have ever…

At first, it struck me as blasphemous—then incredulous. A satirical newspaper, known as the Onion, ran a recent headline as follows: “Christ Reluctantly Enters Area Man’s Heart.” The article went on to profile a fictional mortgage broker—Derek—who supposedly invited Christ to be his Savior. Derek is not a particularly nice man. Not the kind of man that you and I would necessarily choose to have a relationship with. The article quotes Christ as saying, “When a believer reaches out to me with faith in their hearts, I kind of have to reach back, even if it’s Derek.” Now please understand—I…

Houston, we have a problem: adults are not memorizing the Bible. Not like we should, anyway. I don't know about you but I struggle in committing Scripture to memory. When I was a kid, it was much easier to memorize the Bible.  Awana was a great experience. But time is not kind to our brains. Or is it that we adults have allowed too much data clutter on our hard drives? Either way, we don't memorize the Bible—at least not much. I've taken survey after informal survey and the results rarely vary.  “When I was younger I used to memorize…but…

Amid the many small town fall festivals of Illinois, Stillman Valley Days must rank among the finest.  There’s the usual stuff: craft shows, carnival rides and overpriced funnel cakes.  For fans of fireworks, Stillman Valley Days is probably one of the season’s last and best displays in the whole state—which is why we try never to miss. But because Stillman Valley is definitely in farm country, there’s always a display of small gasoline powered implements.  These antique machines are said to have performed important functions on farms of the last century.  Indeed, some of them are more than a hundred…

As society judges people, Orville was one of the most un-cool guys I’ve ever met.   Most of his teeth were missing. And the few that remained poked up at odd angles in a mouth that was often caked with dried saliva.  A sizeable paunch rendered his physique something other than cool.  His few strands of hair were as wiry as they were wild—definitely not cool.   Truthfully, there was little about Orville’s appearance that suggested he was anything other than a country bumpkin. Orville was a farmer all his life and I didn’t know much about the man—apart from his appearance—until…

Is it just me…or is the evangelical subculture on a trajectory toward the outer edge of Christian conduct and lifestyle?  I say yes, it is. Perhaps it's a reaction to the 60s and 70s when many Christians almost defined themselves by the cultural things they DIDN'T do.  Today's generation appears bent on ramming right up against the outer edges of acceptability.  Statistics show that in general, they drink more, watch more R-rated films, use cruder language, and are much more comfortable than previous generations playing violent or sexually explicit video games. Now clearly it was a non-biblical world view to…

I saw a great headline the other day in “The Onion,” a spoof newspaper.  Went like this: “Nation just wants to be safe, happy, rich comfortable, entertained at all times—also healthy,   fulfilled, successful and loved.” The article went on to quote a supposed Maryland resident, Lena McCarthy who said, “It’s not that complicated.  At the end of the day, all I want from America is a good job, a nice house, romantic fulfillment, beautiful sunny weather during the day, star lit skies at night, low gas prices, independence from foreign oil, free food, free healthcare, free media, everything free.” At…

So this week, we had the distinct pleasure of taking our two grandchildren to the zoo.  They'd been waiting all summer for us to join them and having crammed the car full of strollers, kids and a picnic lunch, we finally arrived. Almost immediately, I was struck by a rather odd impression: Where are all the animals? Whether for reasons of political correctness, budget cuts, or a trendy understanding of proper zoo etiquette, the place has become much more about habitats and environmental education than about the animals themselves. Understand that this zoo is Chicago's premiere animal attraction.  Yet they…

Why are so many Christians living such shallow lives? In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons is we have sold them eternal fire insurance rather than the real deal. Let me explain. For decades now, many—quote unquote–successful evangelical voices  have sold Christianity on a felt-needs basis.  And what need is greater than the need to escape  Hell?  Who DOESN'T want to avoid the lake of fire, burning with sulphur?  So for generations now, we have sold what I call “eternal fire insurance.” Plus, Christians often focus exclusively on the promise of Heaven and the guarantees of personal peace and…