Tag: Jesus

  • “What happened next, Mary”

    Luke, a middle-aged physician hired by a wealthy Roman to document the story of Jesus, sat down on a bench next to an aging Jewish woman somewhere in the Roman province of Judea. Luke’s task was to put together the story– in order– the story of Jesus and his followers. People in Rome were talking…

  • Jesus, the Counter-Culture Rebel with a Cause

    Sometimes Jesus’ words shock me because they are so offensive to my own culture. Jesus has a lot to say to us today. His words still indict and call us to a new, counter-cultural way of living. These statements are a powerful reminder that Jesus, fully God and fully man, could have easily conquered the world.…

  • The Rule of Affinity

    The Rule of Affinity

    Two men had robbed a bank a few miles away and while being chased by the police made a wrong turn into our neighborhood. Full of canyons and dead ends the robbers got lost, ditched their car, shot at a cop, and ran into backyards a few hundred yards from our house. Soon a police…

  • 3 Things I’m Wondering About What Church Leaders Believe

    Yesterday, Kristen and I went to the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. It’s an event I’ve always loved… I’ve gone 3-4 times in the past decade and the years that I couldn’t make it I always wanted to. Looking back, it’s an event where I always learn a lot. I’m probably a lot like you.…

  • Jesus died for his peeps

    Pretty weird mix of metaphors if you ask me.

  • Children’s Book Idea: The Martyrs of Jesus

    I’m an idea guy. And one thing I’ve learned over the years is that every one of my ideas has value. That doesn’t mean every idea is a good idea. It just means that every idea is worth writing down and coming back to later. Several months ago I had this thought, “Wouldn’t it be…

  • The Community – Individual Continuum

    Theologically, we all know that you can’t experience the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus without community. Jesus invites us not to merely partake in communion but to live in communion with one another. (A throwback to the Garden of Eden) Sociologically, we live in society built around the individual. We live in single family…

  • The weird side of Christians and politics

    Preamble: Understand in reading this post that I’m a swing voter and my #1 criteria for voting is, “Can this person lead in the role they are running for?” Side issues mean almost nothing to me in light of that one framing question. I cringe when I hear evangelical Christians being grouped together as a…

  • Is this a safe place?

    About 10 months ago a group of people sat on Chris’ back porch talking about starting a youth ministry for our church, Harbor Mid-City. As we chatted, dreamt, and prayed about this ministry one of the things that came out was… “We want it to be a safe place for students to explore a relationship…

  • Meet Michelle

    Praying with Michelle was about the most gut wrenching thing of my life. Please listen to her story and ask yourself… How is God asking me to be involved?