The theme of the 2012 Minnesota South District Convention was “Free and Focused.” The theme verse was taken from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Take a read: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, … Read more
It sounds like scary stuff. We’re not supposed to take the word of God and “expand” it. It’s good enough by itself! I believe that’s true. What we need to understand is that the word of God isn’t the ink on the page or the pixel on the screen. It’s the meaning behind the word … Read more
I am a sheep, complete with all the misguided, helpless stupidity that goes along with it. I am a sheep of the Good Pastor, Jesus. It’s awesome being in His flock under His provision and protection. It’s also humbling to be a pastor for the Good Pastor, to have a subset of that flock under … Read more
As a boy I remember the hustle and bustle of Sunday morning. I wasn’t always the swiftest out the door in the morning. It was a lot of work getting everything ready, picking out our Sunday best and making ourselves presentable. Unfortunately the work didn’t stop when we got to church. It had only begun! … Read more
We’ve all met people whose perception of themselves far exceeded their actual ability. If we’re honest with ourselves, we find that it’s also great description of us! It’s true! There’s nothing more humbling that being a human being. Think about it. Do we have the ability to create ourselves? No. We are in this world … Read more
Which tense to we use? When we refer to ourselves as being baptized, are we speaking in the past tense or the present tense? If we speak in the past tense, then our baptism into Christ is something that happened long ago, a piece of history that may or may not impact our lives at … Read more
I recently heard Rev. Dan Hudson from Sanctuary Church in Manhattan, IL speak at the Movement Conference hosted by LINC – Twin Cities. Now, much of the conference moved me, but none more than an analogy that Dan drew up on a sheet of paper. It has to do with aligning our priorities with Jesus’ … Read more
I find myself intrigued by why people do what they do. In my intrigue, I try my best not to judge, but to simply observe. What makes it so intriguing is that often people are truly unaware of why they do what they do. They just do it! People don’t usually want to admit it … Read more
Self-Expression I don’t usually tend to use political examples, but the “Occupy ____” movement has left me fascinated. For the longest time, analysts have tried to narrow down the message to a unified core, to no avail. Talk to five protesters and you get five different messages. Even the supposed leaders of the movement don’t … Read more
A New Look at Church Churches use slogans like that to make themselves seem hip and cool. I don’t know if we’re hip and cool, but I do think we’ve discovered some things about church over these last few years that bears some reflection. So, let’s take a brief look in the mirror. GodSpeak: Integrated … Read more