Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green

Faith is a Good Thing

To say that Will Durant and his wife, Ariel, were prolific writers of history would be like saying that turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving or people shoot fireworks on the Fourth of July. The Durants are best known for their monumental eleven volume work, The Story of Civilization.  The series was written over four decades and hasContinue reading “Faith is a Good Thing”

Thinking about Church

Formulating a biblically accurate picture of the church can be like nailing jello to a tree. For many of us, our concepts of the church have been driven by tradition as much as by truth and separating the two can be difficult—but not impossible. Part of the problem (for some, maybe a big part), has toContinue reading “Thinking about Church”

To Judge or not to Judge?

“Don’t judge!” This has been one of our culture’s mantras for quite some time. We’re so emphatic about it that I saw a meme of a little girl pointing an accusing finger at Santa Claus and saying, “Naughty or nice, huh? STOP JUDGING ME!” Even Santa has been taken down by popular culture. Of course,Continue reading “To Judge or not to Judge?”

Who is on Your Road?

When Jesus told the story of the Samaritan, His immediate purpose was to provide an answer to the disingenuously posed question, “Who is my neighbor?”  (Luke 10:29). The expert in the law (v. 25), was seeking to have his indifference toward others excused on the grounds that neighbor was too ambiguous of a term. It couldn’t beContinue reading “Who is on Your Road?”

Come and See

We were on a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Greece. Our youngest daughter was there as part of her university’s international study program. Everyone had been counting their nickels for quite some time (even having a home-made gift exchange the previous Christmas). Janice and I flew to Raleigh where our oldest daughter and her husband live. From there we flewContinue reading “Come and See”

The Continuing Challenge of Change

Toward the end of Les Miserables Inspector Javert, the thorough going man of law and order for whom no grey area is possible, has his life saved by Jean Valjean—the man he has been pursuing for a decade. To make matters worse, Valjean then surrenders himself to Javert and to everyone’s astonishment (including his own), JavertContinue reading “The Continuing Challenge of Change”

Grace and Community (1)

Luke recorded a parable given by Jesus in 18:9-14 of his gospel. The story is about two men in the temple and their approach God. The first person, a Pharisee, comes before God reciting a checklist of all the good things he has done. Interestingly, Christ never suggests that the man didn’t do the things of which he boasts norContinue reading “Grace and Community (1)”

The Tree (1)

Here’s a story from my childhood days. Thanks to Paula Morrel and the good people at Tales from the South for allowing me to share it on their program and publishing it in their book, Tales from the South: Volume 3. One day when I was about twelve, I was out in the spacious field that served as our back yard. Both ofContinue reading “The Tree (1)”

What Makes A Best Man (or Woman)

John 3:22-30 is a passage that is tucked away between Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus and His visit with the women at the well in Samaria. It’s like the U.S. Grant Memorial which sits between the Washington Monument and the U.S Capitol—by  its very location it tends to be overlooked and under-valued. But as we’ll see,Continue reading “What Makes A Best Man (or Woman)”