For the last number of weeks I have been wrestling with the tension between biblical values that God has for us and our churches, vs. what can be easy to default to. Last week I wrote about the tension of making decisions. Is the highest priority making people happy, or living into God’s call for,… Continue reading Busy for God?
Tag: transformation
Transform
If you ask most people will tell you that they want their lives to be better tomorrow than it is today. Many Christians will tell you similarly that they want and believe that they should be growing in their faith, their knowledge of scripture, and their relationship with God. The challenge is that as people… Continue reading Transform
Inefficient Gospel
I envy individuals who are talked about as strong people. Often it is used to talk about individuals who are in the midst of stress, personal struggles, or crisis, and are able to navigate it with grace, and a relatively level head. I want to be one of those strong people. This was not a… Continue reading Inefficient Gospel
Good Tension
Last week at our congregational meeting I spoke in closing around the idea of tension. I shared candidly about how as humans we tend to like sameness, and anything that is not the same tends to make us feel well, tension. Worse yet, we are taught early on in life that we should associate any… Continue reading Good Tension
Mission Starts at Home
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 This verse may be one of the most popular verses that churches and pastors refer to in messages, vision statements, and as a… Continue reading Mission Starts at Home
Pain Tolerance
I just saw another commercial for a summer TV series called “Extreme Weight Loss” (I know an original title). As you scroll through the listing of what people are watching, there are lots of shows based on the concept of transformation. Transforming our bodies, our marriages, our relationships, our kitchens and our yards. Each of… Continue reading Pain Tolerance
Spark- Friction
And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:10b-11 The calling of the disciples is a part of scripture that has also floored me. Many of the disciples are called simply when… Continue reading Spark- Friction
Small Talk
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21 ESV Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 ESV In… Continue reading Small Talk
Be Real Pt.3
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to… Continue reading Be Real Pt.3
Changing the World is Hard
Oh back in the day. Back in college and seminary when I had great aspirations to change the world. As I have grown older this desire has not stopped through, I still believe that God changes lives, and I want to be part of God’s transforming work in the world around me. A few weeks… Continue reading Changing the World is Hard