Posts by Dave Barba
Taming Envy
His name is Mr. Grinch—incurably green with envy, that unlovable Dr. Seuss character who cannot bear the sight of someone enjoying himself. When that happens, he bites himself. Envy is a sin of the emotions. According to the dictionary it is “a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by a desire for the possessions or…
Read MoreA Sure Bet?
Bryant Northern had the world at his fingertips as a walk-on guard with a full scholarship at basketball powerhouse University of Louisville. He dreamed of dead-eye jump shots, March Madness, even a pro career. But the six-foot-tall Northern also had a hidden problem, one more common than Americans may want to admit— a problem that…
Read MoreDying Words — the Blessing of Hope
Dave Barba On a frigid, gray Monday morning I visited a cemetery in Nova Scotia, the burial ground of some Titanic victims. The snow crunched as I walked down the rows of granite tombstones. One epitaph is etched into my memory: “Here lies Lee Waldron King.” I lifted my camera to capture a memory. When…
Read MorePlant Now!
A 21st Century Challenge Dave Barba Why Re-seed? When I was a kid, I liked missionaries and their slide shows. A missionary was a mud-hut guy who carried water from the river, ate bugs with a smile, and preached in the jungle. He displayed snakeskins and shrunken heads. He was a real missionary, and he…
Read MoreThe Promised Fruit of Soul Winning
Dave Barba We all struggle with our responsibility to evangelize. If I asked, “Is your church evangelistic?” you might reply by mentioning your latest rousing sermon on evangelism or your recent Bible study series on soul winning. Maybe you would refer me to your wellwritten blog post where you analyze postmodernity’s effect on evangelism and…
Read MoreDo You Have What it Takes?
Dave Barba The phone rings. A fine Christian layman tells you that his church is compromising. His and three other families are eager to start a new church. Is this “Macedonian” phone call a divine call from God? Should you pack up and sail to Philippi? Paul the apostle, the premier church starter in the…
Read More