Articles
Even Mustangs Need Rest: An Invitation to Something Better
Learning Biblical Rest from a Wild Mustang The first time I walked up to a wild mustang in a round pen, I knew I was looking at an animal who would do anything to break free from the barriers around him. The horse’s name was Amarillo. He was as strong as he was tense,...
Reclaiming the Table
Following Jesus Together Around the Table Every Sunday evening in Seattle’s Lake Union neighborhood, about thirty to forty people gather in a community room. No pulpits, no pews anywhere to be found. Instead, people sit around tables featuring plates brimming with...
Can I Trust You?: Cultivating Character That Isn’t Performative
I stood beside him in the church choir. Months later, he was arrested for murder. Back then, he seemed like the kind of man no one would ever question—steady, respected, a pillar of our community. Sure, he seemed a little aloof during choir practice, but I was just a...
The Key to Resilience: Returning to Joy
Returning to Joy in the Middle of Tragedy In November 2013 tragedy struck my hometown of Washington, Illinois. An EF-4 tornado, with damaging winds reaching 190 miles per hour, destroyed over one thousand homes and created nearly a billion dollars in damage. Twenty...
Life Together at Jesus’ Table: Discipleship as Sacramental Living
Discipleship as Sacramental Living and Table Fellowship Discipleship is sacramental because disciples are the living temple of the triune God, together. Years earlier, Paul’s letter to the Galatians erupted with urgency because Judaizers similarly weaponized table...
Overcoming Church Hurt with the Good Shepherd
Church Hurt Can Wound Pastors and Ministry Leaders Too The large church my friend’s family had helped build abruptly dismissed her son, their associate pastor. This honorable young father suddenly found himself with no income and lots of confusion. My friend asked,...
When the Smallest Becomes the Greatest
As we think about finding and living our purpose on planet Earth, we need to rethink much of what the world teaches us. The world insists that “bigger is better,” “more is mightier,” and “success is measured by size,” yet God tells us that those things are rarely...
You Can’t Change Someone Who Doesn’t Want to Change
When You Can't Change Someone You Love I’m so tired of trying to change them. I’m worn out from being the one person keeping everything from going off the rails. I’m exhausted from making all this effort but never getting the outcome I long for. These were the...
Creating Safer Ministry Environments
Why safety in a church is built quietly, over time, long before anyone needs it Safer Ministry Environments Begin With Watchful Leadership Most of us who lead in ministry never set out to build a safe church. We set out to build a faithful one. We wanted to preach...
Roots Must Be Stronger Than the Burden
Healthy Roots for Leaders Must Be Stronger Than the Storm When a tree topples, typically no one is harmed, but a toppling leader brings damage to everyone surrounding the leader: a family, a company, a congregation. Trust is broken. Dreams and goals seem to be ruined....
Thanks-Living: Embracing a Life of Gratitude Every Day
Thanks-Living: Why 5:18? So many profound single verses from the Bible resound in our souls like a divine mic drop. We highlight, underline, memorize, and even sign these scriptural Mount Everests by our names. Yet how often do we miss the rich depths of their...
When You’ve Been With Jesus, You Cannot Stay the Same
When You've Been With Jesus, Your Life Begins to Change There are moments in a journey when you pause, not because the mission is finished, but because it’s worth remembering how you got there. A 75th anniversary is one of those moments. As I reflect back over the...
Authentic Masculinity: God’s Design for Men
Is Authentic Masculinity Even a Real Thing? Some say masculinity isn’t real, that it’s imaginary; just a stereotype or a social construct. Masculinity, it’s said, is like Santa Claus, a story we tell children to get them to behave in socially acceptable ways. When we...
How Pastors Can Use AI in Ministry Without Losing the Soul of Ministry
Pastors and Christian leaders are uniquely positioned to benefit from AI tools — and uniquely vulnerable to misusing them. Ministry is deeply human work. It involves souls, stories, suffering, repentance, celebration, and presence. Artificial intelligence can support...
Drawn to Praise: When Success Depends on Approval
Why We Are Drawn to Praise International bestselling author and speaker Dr. Miles Monroe once said that a man is drawn to praise. I really resonate with his words because for much of my life I equated praise with success. I was conditioned by culture, movies,...
Encountering Christ in the Abyss
The grace of God means something like: “Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” Frederick...
Understanding Bible Laws Today
Making Sense of the Bible’s Strange Laws: A Theologian Dad’s Letter to His Daughter Understanding Bible Laws Begins with Historical Context Dear Lucy, Do you remember the time you read through the whole Bible in just a few weeks during lockdown? What surprised me most...
Find True Sabbath Rest
True Sabbath Rest Frees Us From Restlessness On the Sabbath, we rest We all live with chronically unsatisfied desires. No matter how much we seem to get, it never feels like enough. The Bible calls this inner disquiet “restlessness.” And one of the ways we fight...
Seeking God’s Approval Over Human Praise
International bestselling author and speaker Dr. Miles Monroe once said that a man is drawn to praise. I really resonate with his words because for much of my life I equated praise with success. I was conditioned by culture, movies, cartoons, family, and school to...
Healthy Roots for Faithful Leadership
Healthy Roots for Leaders Matter More Than Visible Success When a tree topples, typically no one is harmed, but a toppling leader brings damage to everyone surrounding the leader: a family, a company, a congregation. Trust is broken. Dreams and goals seem to be...
