Integrity is gritty – it is hard, it takes effort, it’s often a chore. And integrity is a never-ending process: it takes a lifetime to build, yet mere moments to destroy.
All in Discipleship
None of Self
I revisited this old hymn and was floored by the lyrics as they described a spiritual journey we all must travel if we desire to be in relationship with God.
Integrity Is Integral (Part 1)
People want to follow leaders who present themselves as they truly are, not as they believe others want them to be.
Partial Fasting for Spiritual Growth
It’s important to take time to reflect on where we stand in our spiritual lives, and assess things that may be distracting us.
Dry
Just as the concept of one single breath is not enough to sustain us, neither is a “one-and-done” idea adequate to establish spiritual rhythms.
Tony, Trina, and the God of Second Chances
It’s a story of the God of love and grace doing his work among his people. It’s a story for the sinner and the lonely, a story for those in grief and pain, and a story of redemption.
The Offensive Cross: Discipleship is Uncomfortable!
You really want to follow Jesus? You want to gain life with him through the resurrection? You first must join him at the uncomfortable cross!
On Reading the Bible
What I am about to say will sound so elementary that I risk losing you, my reader, before I even get to the end of this paragraph. But here goes. I want you to read your Bible.
I Got out of Bed
While the day was successful in terms of accomplishing my agenda, I realized that my greatest achievement on that day was that I got out of bed – despite the mental odds, self-doubt, and insecurities.
No Words
We can get so paralyzed by the complications, the insecurities, the fears, the bruises from past failures, our defenses and the many other things that make up life’s big ball of yarn.
The Importance of Operational Pauses
In a world that values productivity – doing more and more – Jesus reminds us that faithfulness is greater fruit than fame. There’s always work to do … so we must begin in prayer.
Love Requires Vulnerability
Hate is about controlling others, while love is about becoming vulnerable to them. Vulnerability opens us up to suffering because people will inevitably hurt us.
Your Silence Will Not Protect You
When are you keeping quiet when you suspect something isn’t working, and why?
Monday to Saturday Faith
This conviction – that God is already in our homes, our Zoom calls, our neighborhoods and parks – offers us a vibrant and hopeful invitation.
You Can’t Teach Confidence, Right?
When you are thrown off balance by a comment, a criticism, a conflict, a failure, a judgement, or a surprise topic at an elders’ meeting, do you have a verbal recovery plan?
Discernment Is God’s Gift to the Church, Not to an Individual
I fear Christians are doing decision-making the wrong way. We are not lone wolves who must discern the will of God on our own. Spiritual gifts like discernment are given for the common good.
Serenity in the Savage
Next time you feel the savage overcoming the serene, try taking a moment to experience some element of nature.
Pomegranates, Protestants, and Pictures
But are pomegranates and icons really on par with one another? After all, it is not like pomegranates were put in the temple to represent the image of God like Rublev’s icon of the hospitality of Abraham depicts the Trinity.
You Are Loved
I now know (with all my heart) that I am deeply loved. Not because I have minimized my sin and helped others manage theirs, but simply because I exist.
A Lesson in Hermeneutics
Readers of Scripture are inherently also interpreters of Scripture, and if we are not careful with our interpretation, or if we are ignorant of how we interpret, then we can dangerously warp and misuse Scripture.