There seems to be no relief. Our world has slipped into a persistent agitated state. Perhaps you see it in local and world events, or even your own life. People are agitated, angry and fed up. Our politics are agitated, our race relations are agitated, our international relations are agitated and all that agitation is … Read more
The year was 2009, and I can remember the meeting vividly. The Leadership Team of our congregation passed a sabbatical policy for called staff. I felt it was a nice gesture but honestly had no intention of using it. I love my job. It doesn’t get much better than walking with people through the ups … Read more
Over the last two years, God has led me on a journey of deepening my discipleship. By his grace, the beautiful simplicity of Jesus’ teachings has been revealed and rooted in me. As I listened to Jesus, a marvelous picture of the Christian church became clearer and clearer. Unfortunately when I looked at the broader … Read more
We are so easily insulted. We take offense at the smallest of things. We use the word “hurt” for our feelings as much as we do for bodily injury. Our automatic response to being insulted, offended or hurt is almost always self-defense. We must defend our pride. We must not let them get the upper … Read more
A few weeks ago I got an email from a concerned parent about how to raise their children in a culture that has rejected God’s created order and Jesus, the One sent to restore that order. I just so happened to have been teaching the last hour on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. The answer … Read more