You really want to follow Jesus? You want to gain life with him through the resurrection? You first must join him at the uncomfortable cross!
All in Discipleship
On Reading the Bible
What I am about to say will sound so elementary that I risk losing you, my reader, before I even get to the end of this paragraph. But here goes. I want you to read your Bible.
I Got out of Bed
While the day was successful in terms of accomplishing my agenda, I realized that my greatest achievement on that day was that I got out of bed – despite the mental odds, self-doubt, and insecurities.
No Words
We can get so paralyzed by the complications, the insecurities, the fears, the bruises from past failures, our defenses and the many other things that make up life’s big ball of yarn.
The Importance of Operational Pauses
In a world that values productivity – doing more and more – Jesus reminds us that faithfulness is greater fruit than fame. There’s always work to do … so we must begin in prayer.
Love Requires Vulnerability
Hate is about controlling others, while love is about becoming vulnerable to them. Vulnerability opens us up to suffering because people will inevitably hurt us.
Your Silence Will Not Protect You
When are you keeping quiet when you suspect something isn’t working, and why?
Monday to Saturday Faith
This conviction – that God is already in our homes, our Zoom calls, our neighborhoods and parks – offers us a vibrant and hopeful invitation.
You Can’t Teach Confidence, Right?
When you are thrown off balance by a comment, a criticism, a conflict, a failure, a judgement, or a surprise topic at an elders’ meeting, do you have a verbal recovery plan?
Discernment Is God’s Gift to the Church, Not to an Individual
I fear Christians are doing decision-making the wrong way. We are not lone wolves who must discern the will of God on our own. Spiritual gifts like discernment are given for the common good.
Serenity in the Savage
Next time you feel the savage overcoming the serene, try taking a moment to experience some element of nature.
Pomegranates, Protestants, and Pictures
But are pomegranates and icons really on par with one another? After all, it is not like pomegranates were put in the temple to represent the image of God like Rublev’s icon of the hospitality of Abraham depicts the Trinity.
You Are Loved
I now know (with all my heart) that I am deeply loved. Not because I have minimized my sin and helped others manage theirs, but simply because I exist.
A Lesson in Hermeneutics
Readers of Scripture are inherently also interpreters of Scripture, and if we are not careful with our interpretation, or if we are ignorant of how we interpret, then we can dangerously warp and misuse Scripture.
The Emptiness of Outrage and the Possibilities of Humility
Too many Christians today are trying to be like traditional fishermen, more obsessed with killing than with catching people alive.
Breathing Lessons
Although the app I was using intended this breath practice to inspire self confidence, it triggered my memory of the practice of breath prayers.
Led by the Word
We must desire to feast on God’s living word daily so that we can truly find nourishment and growth. Without it, we will surely die of malnutrition.
Seeking Jesus
While the wise men sought to find Jesus, I watched a man yelling at police officers at the U.S. Capitol building while holding a flag with a Christian fish and the name of Jesus.
An Extra Candle
Special days and seasons tend to have a polarizing effect on our emotions and spiritual lives. Do you feel this every year too?
Where Christmas Starts
The first lesson of Christmas is to keep showing up even when your miracle hasn’t.