Category Archives: Christian Living

Limping through Lent

Posted on March 12, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Seven days down, 33 more to go . . . I know, that sort of sucks as a Lenten attitude.  And Jesus said when you fast, don’t go around all mopey advertising that you are fasting.  So I’m working on it.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Prayer | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Finding God in “Cosmos”

Posted on March 10, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Apparently some Christians are outraged about the reboot of “Cosmos” that premiered last night on Fox (and several Fox-affiliated networks).  Here are some actual tweets: “Wow, and they (think) believing in God is insane? Takes more “faith” to believe what … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Faith and Science | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Unexpected Pastor’s Best Picture Countdown 2014 – Part Two

Posted on March 1, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Here’s the conclusion of my ranking of the nine Best Picture nominees for Sunday’s Academy Awards.  Part One, with films #9-5, is HERE. I had lots of trouble ranking these top four films.  Any of them would be a worthy … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Culture, Christian Living, Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Unexpected Pastor’s Best Picture Countdown 2014, Part One

Posted on February 28, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

With the Academy Awards scheduled for Sunday evening, today we interrupt the series of posts about my Israel trip  for Part One of my annual Best Picture Countdown. Part Two will be posted tomorrow. (The Israel posts so far are HERE, HERE, and HERE and will … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Culture, Christian Living, Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stop Talkin’ ’bout My Sister!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

It’s time for me to be the  big brother I never really was when we were growing up.  I was too involved in my own life.  But it’s time for me to stand up for my sister. Not that my … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Homosexuality | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

LIFE OF THE PARTY – A sermon on John 2:1-11

Posted on January 17, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

(I rarely post my sermons on the blog.  Usually I refer people to the sermon podcasts on our church website because sermons are a spoken form of communication, and because I never preach exactly what’s on the manuscript.  But this … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Sermon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Santa Is Spelled with the Same Letters as Satan!

Posted on December 17, 2013 by pastordavesimpson

Yeah, the title is a little over the top, but I figured it would get more hits than my first idea, “Santa Is Just Alright with Me.”  Lots of folks are probably too young to remember the Doobie Brothers, anyway. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

“Philomena” – A Film Review and Reflection on What it Means to Be a Christian

Posted on December 3, 2013 by pastordavesimpson

“Your pain is penance for your sin.” That’s what the nuns said to Philomena as she screamed in agony.  Her newborn was breech; death was a real possibility for both Philomena and the baby.  But the nuns refused to call … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Movies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

How to be a Christian without being a jerk about it

Posted on September 27, 2013 by pastordavesimpson

I have blogged about many of the points Elizabeth Rawlings makes below, but she writes  an excellent summation of “How to be a Christian Without Being a Jerk About It” that I wanted to share. I think it’s excellent, anyway. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Christian Living, Christianity | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Just War, Syria, and the Ethics of Doing Nothing

Posted on August 30, 2013 by pastordavesimpson

Have you ever done something just because a situation seemed to demand, “Do something!”? How did that work out for you? In my experience, not very well. Before I was a pastor, I worked with young people in trouble and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments