I’ve heard this statement uttered in several church contexts over the years, and it never felt right to me. While it is always good and right to contextualize the gospel for your particular setting (Paul becomes all things to all people, for example), it is dangerous...
"You are covered with the vastness of our Father. You are on my mind and in my prayers." The words came to me today on a lazy Sunday afternoon--from Vonda, a friend and cheerleader whose connection to God in worship I deeply admire. She didn't know how much I needed...
When a Christian leader harms his/her flock or members of their congregation or ministry sphere, a deep, horrible wound is opened up. Victims are traumatized. The system that allowed the abuser is obviously broken (and also needs to repent). Typically: the victims are...
When we suffer, according to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 1, we suffer with an eye toward helping others. "Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then...
I've been thinking about Christian maturity (and traits of immaturity) lately, so I came up with this unscientific list of traits of growing Christians. These folks (hopefully they're us!) are safe, developmental, compassionate, and connected to their savior. Looking...
Big numbers are proof that a ministry is "good" and beyond reproach, right? Doesn't that success mean God is blessing that entity? If a ministry is growing and bringing people in the front door, those numbers prove God is at work, so the reasoning goes that anyone who...
I've been thinking about how I'm made, how God has uniquely gifted me. I am a discloser by nature, and I thank God for that odd gift because He has used it to bring healing my way. Right after high school, I went on "Beyond Malibu," a weeklong hiking trip in the...
“Great is the art of the beginning, but greater is the art of ending. "—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow You may or may not know, but we are walking through a season of transition as we've left our church of 23 years and are looking for a new church home. All that to say,...
I am seeing more that God is so very good. He is personal. He takes note of our vulnerabilities and loves us anyway. He is a good father. But just because he is a good father doesn't mean everything will turn out the way we want it to. He sees multi-dimensionally,...
Christian celebrity culture is unreal, unhealthy, and unholy. It deceives. Celebrities move from believing the reality of their own sinful desires to deceiving themselves to believe they’re invincible, powerful, and without fault. It ingratiates. When someone becomes...
We are praying, seeking, and getting counsel. We’ve experienced a cataclysmic shift in the past few months, and we wonder what God is up to. Would you pray for us? Pray that we would honor him in our decisions. Pray that we would be quiet enough to listen. Pray that...
Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money, but many churches today suffer from “affluenza.” Whether it be treating celebrities well in special seats or currying favor with wealthy congregants, some churches violate James 2:2-4. “For example, suppose someone comes...