Every Gift is the Giving of Ourselves
At the heart of the Christian story is a gift. Not one of money. Not a physical or monetary donation. Not something wrapped up with a pretty bow on top. But a person. Jesus. God himself, gave himself....
View ArticleMonday Morning Preacher: We Were Never Meant to Fit In
Israel wanted a king. The power players at the time of Samuel made it very clear. They sat him down one day and had three things to tell their prophet leader. One … you’re old. Two … you’re children...
View ArticleMonday Morning Preacher: Everyone is a Preacher
Everyone is a preacher. Though not everyone is a Preacher. You know what I mean? To be sure not every follower of Jesus bears the weight of opening up the Scriptures and participating in the ancient...
View ArticleForgiveness Causes a Ruckus
Over the past few weeks something has grabbed my attention: Jesus forgives ... a lot. Well specifically what I've been thinking about is the number of times the people who followed Jesus around were...
View ArticleActions Speak Louder Than Words, But Words Clarify Actions
Have you ever had to explain yourself? You know ... you did something or didn’t do something that caused shock, awe, surprise, curiosity, or even anger from someone. Your actions (or lack thereof)...
View ArticleJesus Took a Walk | Lesson #7: One-Liners Aren't the Whole Story
.Jesus could have just told them. But he didn’t. He could have simply said, “I’m Jesus! Everything is okay.” But he didn’t. Instead he told them the whole story. After walking with a pair of curious...
View ArticleDealing with God's Presence
God’s presence creates a baffling dilemma. In this sacred space we ought to be overwhelmed in the truest form. That is to say there is an appropriate heaviness to his glory—his beauty, worth, power,...
View ArticleThe God Who We Always Knew Would Come
There’s a curious truths of the Christmas story I haven’t ever gotten over. It’s the fact that the Messiah was excepted. Before the foundation of the world God planned to send his Son as the savior of...
View ArticleWhat is Holding Your Attention?
It is the most wonderful time of the year. But it is also the most distracting. From glittering parades to crazy customers and dinner parties, Christmastime is filled with countless bangs and flashes...
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Knowing the Unknowable and Really Knowing that You Know It
Knowledge is a curious thing. Questions about how we know and why we know and what we can really be sure that we actually know have taunted even the sharpest intellects for centuries. And so we who...
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It's All Part of the Plan
God is good at everything. So it has always been a bit baffling to me that he wants me to do anything. Do you know what I mean? Are you with me? For instance … God is really good at telling people...
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Productivity is a Liar
Does your life feel hurried? Deadlines, basketball practice, travel, clients, emails, expectations, teething, and date night … these all add up and pile up, inevitably escalating to the point of...
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You Don’t Need a Better Story, You Need a Different Author
You’re telling yourself a story. And you need to stop. It’s the grand narrative of your folly and foolishness and inability and clumsy morals and inept relational ability. You’re not good at your...
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Grace causes a ruckus
The sixteenth century pastor and theologian, Martin Luther said that religion is the default disposition of the human heart. In other words being rewarded or judged based on performance just makes...
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Familiarity is a tricky concept
Familiarity is a tricky concept. When we experience something or someone regularly, over time we begin to assume we understand those things or people. In fact if we see someone enough or encounter...
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The story of an author is always wrapped up in the author’s story
When it comes to stories today, we’re lying to ourselves. And we don’t even care. Let me see if I can illustrate. Have you ever been reading a book or article or watching a movie or television show...
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We are all creatives
I’ve been a pastor for about ten years. And it's never struck me as a very creative profession. I’ve never considered myself a "creative". After all creatives are artists and poets and musicians and...
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You have been sent to serve
In my short term as a pastor I’ve been asked a lot of questions … Is God a being or a feeling? How do you harmonize God and science? What’s the difference between Christians and hipster-Christians?...
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It's 5:00 PM. Go home.
It’s 5:00 PM. For most of the Western working world it’s the end of the day. It’s time to go home. It’s time to rest. It’s time for dinner. It’s time to reflect on the day. It’s time to stop working....
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Questions to ask when reading the Bible
The Bible is amazing. But it can be pretty tricky to unpack. And as my wife, Laura and I have tried to navigate the Scriptures for our own development and lead others to do the same, we've realized...
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