Our understanding of our identity drives our actions. It’s incredibly important. That’s why the teenage middle school and high school years can be so challenging – we’re figuring out who we are. The smart kid? The jock? The musician? The popular one? Then just when we maybe feel like we’re getting a handle on it, we …
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m a bit disappointed in life. I’d hoped to have a bit more influence, make a bit more impact… That sort of thing. It takes effort for me to be okay with a life that’s mostly mundane mediocrity. I’m sure not everybody feels this way. I assume most …
I recently noticed something new as I read through the scriptures again. It came about because I was thinking about the need we have at my church to develop more leaders. The leaders we have are straight incredible. And like most churches, we need more of them. We’re launching more services and more campuses, thanks …
Tonight, as I went for a walk and spent time in prayer, my mind started drifting, as it often does. Sometimes, I need to refocus and make sure I don’t lose focus while I have something I need to keep at the center of my thoughts, but other times, I let my mind drift and …
I’ve mentioned this before, but I love what Nadia Bolz-Weber says when people ask her how to get closer to Jesus. “Get closer to Jesus? I keep trying to get away from him and he keeps running me down and making me live healthier.” I’m paraphrasing a bit, and this is completely tongue-in-cheek, but I …
As I write this, Lent started a week ago. While I am not part of a liturgical denomination of Christianity that formally observes this season, I choose to participate in this activity, as I feel it has value in my spiritual growth and development. In years past, I have given up all electronic entertainment for …
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Christian believer in the era of Adolf Hitler. At one point, he left Germany and came to America when the leadership in Germany began trying to co-opt the church into their nationalistic agenda. During his time in America, Bonhoeffer found the churches around him spiritually bankrupt, until he began to …
I love to think in word pictures. I have no clue whether that’s a sign of intelligence or a sign of a lack of intelligence, it’s just want I’ve got going on upstairs. I’ve recently had the opportunity to start serving on the staff of a local church. It’s been a long journey to get here, …
Describing the last year and a half of my life is difficult, because I prefer not to use cuss words. Words like ‘confusing’ and ‘frustrating’ are in the right vein, but they don’t feel anywhere near strong enough to describe just how difficult this season of life has been. Trying to keep your faith when …
