Category: Christian Living
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Ruin Your Reputation
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what…
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Living the Gospel Physically
Permissiveness prevails in the church today. Obedience is mostly viewed spiritually, rarely physically manifesting itself. It’s almost a foreign concept today that walking with Jesus would mean be tied to physical obedience. We’ve cheapened a relationship with Jesus down to the point where we aren’t really asking new followers of Jesus to do anything more…
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Lord, change me first
What motivates people to change? Here’s a list of things that I’m coming to terms with… Things that I see which don’t change people or organizations but should: (Generally speaking) Biblical truth Their current reality, state, or condition Current position, authority and/or aspirations of Scientific research or law Reading books about other organizations or people…
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Let Grace be our language
Is grace enough for you? Maybe I’m a cynic but I don’t think grace is a hallmark of a lot of Christians. We’re too busy having unrealistic expectations for one another and then wallowing in the disappointment of failed relationships. I’m too busy judging you for judging me for grace! Let’s get past this oddity…
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A faith that costs you nothing is worthless
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house…
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The great hope of the American church is…
Neighbors loving neighbors. The funny thing is that if you read enough church leadership blogs or read enough books by big-time church people you start to think that they believe the great hope of the American church is the church organization and its staff. We know Jesus was a big fan of all things mega,…
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L’agenda
The longer I walk with Jesus the more complicated my life seems to get. Kids, ministry, job, dreams, bills, skills, personality flaws, responsibilities… the list is endless. Life is complicated. Scary. Confusing. Worrysome. At the same time, the longer I live the more simple the application of God’s Word gets. When things seem really complex…
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Stop Throwing People Away
There is something going on in church culture that I can’t stand. And it’s something I think we really need to change. And it is something we can change right now, in this moment. It’s this. We have a tendency to throw people away because they do or say or write one thing we don’t like.…
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5 Steps to Finding Family in Your Community
Divorce. Single parenthood. Extended singlehood. Living away from home. Broken relationships. Loneliness. None of these are surprises. None of these are ideal. All of them are our reality and bond. All of them are (by design) normative in the body of Christ. (James Dobson’s ideals are great. But they aren’t our reality.) We are a…
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In defense of blunt
Some writers have explained the English constitution thus; the king, say they, is one, the people another; the peers are an house in behalf of the king; the commons in behalf of the people; but hath all the distinctions of the people; but this hath all the distinctions of an house divided against itself; and…