Articles
Going It Alone
Henri Nouwen writes, “Pain suffered alone feels very different from pain suffered alongside another. Even when the pain stays, we know how great the difference if another draws close, if another shares with us in it. This kind of comfort comes most fully and...
Finding Our Way Home
There are two things that really stress me out. Getting lost and asking for directions. Perhaps that is why I am such a fan of GPS technology. Outside of the wheel, my vote for the greatest human invention is the Global Positioning System. Whether I find myself in a...
4 Remarkable Truths in the Story of a Poor Widow Who Gave All
Part 2 Click here to read part 1. Jesus knew this poor widow had no property and no close family to take care of her. Therefore, since it was something He did often, I believe Jesus motioned for one of His disciples to follow after her and quietly give her a handful...
“Tell Me More”
In her historical narrative on Joseph, Jacob’s deserted son, American writer Madeleine L’Engle carefully unpacked the customs and culture around this crucial figure in Jewish history. She did this for a specific reason: We need to consider the full contours of a story...
4 Remarkable Truths in the Story of a Poor Widow Who Gave All
How often do widows come up in the Gospels? Surprisingly, a lot! The most famous widow’s story is found at the end of Mark 12. At first, what Jesus appears to do (and not do) causes many readers to wince. Even worse? 1. Religious leaders may have cheated this...
New Year, Renewed Church: How to Refresh Your Church in 2022
Hope is a term often used in a context of doubt. When we say, “I hope my team wins,” there is a hint of disbelief. When we say, “I hope my church grows,” you know it’s not guaranteed. When I peer into the freezer and say, “I hope there is ice cream,” the grim...
There is Hope in Your Story
There is hope in your story, whether you feel it or not. You may be in the midst of a hard season, you may be thriving but feel anxiety lurking at the edges or your life, or you find yourself longing for a jolt of encouragement as you wade through each day. Early...
Five Reasons Surrender Should Be a Part of Every Leader’s Vocabulary
Surrender is far from a widely embraced concept in our culture today. Surrender is the opposite of the independent “I can do it” attitude plaguing modern day society. In whatever capacity you lead in your church, we’re all called to let God lead the way when it comes...
Why the Church Needs to Talk About Dating
A friend and I began planning an event for our church where unmarried men and women could mingle and get to know each other. The church’s leadership wanted to create a subtle night of games where singles could interact naturally. In the process, maybe they’d get a...
No Lost Causes
“Then Jesus told them this parable, ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one lost sheep until he finds it?” Luke 15:3-4, niv In a family full of lost sheep, my uncle Jack...
Knowing Whose You Are: Clinging to God in Influencer Culture
I’m with some fellow graduate students who are seeking God for next steps. Out of all we have learned, God, how then should we live? We crazy Christians have the audacity to think we can actually hear from God. And how easily I forget that this is an actual miracle:...
Healing a Wounded and Critical Spirit
As I have spent more time gardening in the past year than ever, I’ve learned some valuable lessons about weeds that look like flowers to the untrained eye and how they smother the good things I’ve planted. Fortunately, I have a gardener friend who helped me rescue our...
Like Canada, Our Country Could Move Towards Tyranny Enforced by Nazi-Like Police
Repeatedly arrested Pastor Artur Pawlowsky was arrested yet again, this time for simply peacefully protesting. No other protestors were arrested — only Artur and his brother. At a similar direction and pace, our country is moving towards tyranny enforced by Nazi-like...
Is This How Christians are Supposed to Act?
Have you ever bought a box of strawberries and opened it up to find one rotten strawberry? Of course you have. We all have. When that happens, we don’t throw away the entire box of strawberries. We assume that there was one bad fruit in the bunch and go on eating the...
The Real Rescuer
Watching my son play soccer ranks as one of my favorite weekend activities. Now that he is a teenager, the games require much more skill and strategy than in years prior. His team wins when they play wisely and employ skills possessed through many hours of practice....
Boundaries
When I look back at my time in full-time ministry, I see how much I struggled making clear boundaries. I want you to learn from the mistakes I made and help you to have a long-term healthy run in ministry leadership. Without boundaries, the chance of a quick burnout...
I Have Zero Time: Strategies for Engaging the Bible When You Don’t Even get to go to the Bathroom by Yourself
Let’s talk about the miraculous invention of 3 × 5 cards. Beth Moore muses that God created them on the eighth day. And Anne Lamott carries one in her back pocket at all times to capture the fleeting thoughts that she wants to write into a book, just in case she...
Rising from the Pew
Does your church have chairs or pews? The old pews I grew up sitting on really wore on the tailbone and backbone; today’s chairs are so much more comfortable. But then again, comfortable is not what we’re supposed to feel at church. Church is where we sit for a bit,...
The Church and Today’s Single Mom
Is your largest mission field in your neighborhood? Single moms and their families are one of the most unchurched population segments. One in four homes is single-mom led 50 percent of American children will live in a single parent home before age 18 85 percent of...
Preach LIFE
How many sermons have you heard or preached on Protecting and Promoting LIFE? I believe the pulpit is the best place from which to teach and have a conversation with the body of Christ about how to support at-risk moms with a crisis pregnancy. But, it seems even the...
