Christian community exists when believers connect with each other in authentic and loving ways that encourage growth in Christ.
All in Discipleship
Developing Christlike Character through Self-Denial
This Adamic nature, our innate sinfulness and rebelliousness, is a result of the curse of the Fall of Adam that has plagued the human family since the “original sin”.
Universal Call for Self-Denial
A dividing wall between cultures and worlds and worldviews stands so high that it seems insurmountable. So we shout our slogans, and defend whatever positions of power we might hold.
A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Gone are the days of civil conversation. Discussion for the sake of learning from others’ perspectives seems to be a thing of the past. Now everyone talks, but no one listens.
World without Me
Still, I can somewhat imagine the world before I was born, and I somehow can contemplate the world many years after I have died, but I falter at imaging it tomorrow, or even next week, without me.
Why Did You Do That?
We, the humans, make immediate assumptions about why people do things constantly, and it happens so quickly, it leads to a bad character judgment in the blink of an eye.
Baggage
It is tempting to pretend that your baggage isn’t heavy or that you just don’t have any. It feels too vulnerable to expose our personal pain when people are trusting us to have the answers.
Unclean Hands, Bodies Intact
Let God cleanse you now. Yes, it will be painful. Yes, it will get messy. But your life will be better for it. Remember that all faithful believers must beat their bodies into submission, like an athlete.
Differing from Ourselves
Every person considering life in Christ does so with a host of competing group loyalties and social expectations bearing down on them.
The Power of Sharing Our Stories
Stories are non-threatening. Asking to tell a story is natural. Asking someone if you can study the Bible with them can be intimidating. Almost everyone says yes to hearing a story.
Knock Knock
Every message is accompanied by information about the relationship. Interruptions convey a pretty strong message that “I am more important than you; I have the power.”
Book Review: The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
The Trellis and the Vine is a metaphor the authors use to introduce a mind-shift in ministry that they insist will change everything.
I Can’t Believe I Said That! When a Shepherd Mentors
He took me seriously, in spite of my immaturity—showing me how to react to criticism, how to absorb hostility, how to be a listener. What humility looks like.
The Parable of the Birds
“So whether you swim deep, soar high, run fast, or sing beautifully, or not at all—each of you has what it is that makes birds unique and makes birds one.”
Finding Our Identity
We want to stake a claim to our own identity—far enough away from the mainstream to be an individual, but not so far that we are alone. We want to be our own man or woman, and yet we also want to belong.
Learning to Die Well
We put great emphasis on how to live for Jesus. We talk about treating people well, making behavioral decisions that follow Jesus, and serving people the way the Good Samaritan did.
Word Problems
So what should we do? The same thing Jesus always tells us to do. Maybe if we apply the greatest commandments to our words, there will be fewer word problems.
Marked with the Spirit
The gift of the promised Holy Spirit may mean many things for the Christian life, but for those newly initiated into Christian discipleship it means one thing. It means you’ve been marked with God’s tattoo.
The Power of Blood
There is something unique about female humanity that puts them in solidarity with Christ. The blood of women has life-giving power, so too the blood that poured from Jesus’s side bore new creation.
Are You Joking?
When you finally come to know the message you intend to preach, then you can freely build on that message and give the gospel handles so people can carry it home with them.