My Kind of Humor!
May 31, 2019
Thanks for sharing this, Keri. :)
Month: May 2019
A Bigger Salvation Story
May 28, 2019
ASCENSION SUNDAY | Luke 24:44-53 One of the difficulties we have in reading and understanding the Bible is that we often unintentionally plug individual passages and key concepts into a controlling story that is foreign to the Bible. This results in making the Bible answer questions it was never interested in addressing. For example, many … More A Bigger Salvation Story
The Best Birthday Gift is Live Music!
May 23, 2019
My amazing wife is giving me the greatest gift I can think of for my 40th birthday: the chance to share the beauty and joy of dancing and swaying, eating and drinking, together with family and friends to the live music of one of my favorite bands. (And my favorite part will be watching my mom … More The Best Birthday Gift is Live Music!
Are You Open?
May 21, 2019
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | Acts 16:9-15; John 14:23-29; 5:1-9 Most of us have seen Warren Sallman’s famous painting Christ at Heart’s Door based on Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Jesus glows with the light of fresh hope while the dark thorns and thistles of sin threaten to overtake … More Are You Open?
Peter Bjorn: Shining Like a Star (and van Gogh)
May 16, 2019
“And a child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6 Our 7-year old, Peter Bjorn, made this precious cityscape that really caught my eye. It reminds me of a passage from Philippians. Followers of Jesus are called to cultivate a countercultural way of life that sets us apart from “a world of corrupt and sinful people.” Paul calls … More Peter Bjorn: Shining Like a Star (and van Gogh)
Dangers of Celebrity Pastors & Megachurch Cultures
May 13, 2019
I’m reposting this from the deep archives as it is a lesson we seem slow to learn. By the way, did you hear about the ‘Preachers N Sneakers’ controversy? Below is an excerpt from a spot-on, timely and utterly devastating articles I’ve read in years about church leadership. I wish it never needed to be … More Dangers of Celebrity Pastors & Megachurch Cultures
Prayer for a Stressed Out Mom
May 12, 2019
by Malinda Fuller May you have clarity of thought and a morsel of sanity today. May you know that His grace is enough. For every season, every tantrum, every question, every failure. It is enough. Always. May you know that you are wildly loved by your Father, just as you are. Not because of what … More Prayer for a Stressed Out Mom
#BlessedToBlessOthers
May 10, 2019
Do you remember a few years back when #Blessed became a wildly popular hashtag on Instagram? Many others concluded it was the most annoying and misleading hashtag on Instagram. … More #BlessedToBlessOthers
Taking Off Prayer Masks
May 10, 2019
From Skye Jethani: Most of the characters in the Bible were scoundrels. King David, for example, possessed some noble qualities, but he was also a liar, adulterer, and murderer. Still, he was called “a man after God’s own heart.” The explanation may be found in David’s prayers. They run the spectrum from adoration to anger, … More Taking Off Prayer Masks
Do Millennials Think Evangelism is Wrong?
May 9, 2019
“Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest … More Do Millennials Think Evangelism is Wrong?
Faces Downcast to Eyes Opened
May 9, 2019
Sitting around that table the hidden face of God suddenly becomes visible. The stranger becomes a dear friend. The empty hole in our heart is suddenly filled. The darkness is vanquished by piercing light. Hope is resurrected to dance a jig on the corpse of Despair. At that table the lump in our throat is replaced by an irresistible burning in our heart. … More Faces Downcast to Eyes Opened
Garage Sale Theology
May 7, 2019
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER| Acts 9:36-43 Spring time in the upper midwest brings many good things back from the icy clutches of winter—including garage sales. As I was making my first couple stops of the season this week, I began to construct a kind of “Theology of Garage Sales.” I thought: What if the things … More Garage Sale Theology
Searching For Sunday
May 7, 2019
Rachel Held Evans died on Saturday at the age of 37, leaving behind her husband and a 1 and 3 year old. Life is precious and fragile indeed. Never heard of RHE? That’s okay. Now is a great chance to check out her writings. I confess I have not read any of her books, or … More Searching For Sunday
Dandelions: A Modernized Parable
May 6, 2019
Originally posted on Kingdom Harbor:
When Sarah was a little girl, she loved to dance and twirl barefooted across the soft green grass of her childhood home and feel the soft blades in between her toes. One day she noticed a small solitary yellow dandelion growing up amidst all the green and thought, “How beautiful!”…
Cursing the Fall
May 6, 2019
A repost from 2008. I was doing the annual spring yard clean-up this past weekend. My wife had done most of the raking and left them in neat piles for me to come behind and bag up. I’m a manly man, so I didn’t think I needed to wear work gloves to pick up a … More Cursing the Fall
Sermon: Suffering & God’s Providence
May 5, 2019
Several years back I was raking leaves in the late autumn sun while Keri pruned a rose bush. When I reached down to grab a big pile of leaves to stuff in the bag, my fingers grasped a handful of thorny briers Keri had tossed under the leaves when I wasn’t looking. As the thorns … More Sermon: Suffering & God’s Providence
Rest in Peace, Rachel
May 4, 2019
Woke up to some sad news today. Rachel and I began blogging around the same time (back when I was chasing web traffic). She became famous, and I’m still writing to you three people out there. The Christian world lost a big voice and good person today. From CBN News: Rachel Held Evans, a popular … More Rest in Peace, Rachel
QUOTABLES: Brother Lawrence on Prayer
May 4, 2019
“Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do … More QUOTABLES: Brother Lawrence on Prayer
Consumer Faith & Magic Spells (Skye Jethani)
May 3, 2019
by Skye Jethani The use of pre-written prayers carries many benefits, as we’ve been exploring over the last few days. They guide our often wandering minds to focus on God. They instruct us to think rightly about our Lord with a depth we often lack. They can also remind us that communion with God is … More Consumer Faith & Magic Spells (Skye Jethani)
The Role of Imagination in Faith
May 2, 2019
“It may be that God has the eternal appetite of infancy.” -G.K. Chesterton I had a great conversation this week about the role of imagination in spiritual growth. We spoke a bit about how children tend to be more open to new things than adults. (I recently wrote about Abby’s 4-year old “StarryEyed” infatuation with unicorns.) … More The Role of Imagination in Faith
Spontaneous vs. Recited Prayers
May 1, 2019
Are original, spontaneous prayers the only prayers that come “from the heart”? Why do many Christians look down upon recited or written prayers as inferior? In a recent sermon I mentioned this aversion to “recited prayers” and preference for so-called prayers that come “from the heart.” I think this phenomenon is very new and modern, … More Spontaneous vs. Recited Prayers
Mailbox Podcast: “Pizza & Prayer”
May 1, 2019
Do you ever feel like your prayers are ending up in a vacant building somewhere with no one there to respond? A couple years ago I decided to hit record on my iPhone microphone during my 5 minute walk down and up our long driveway to get the mail. I was trying to find little … More Mailbox Podcast: “Pizza & Prayer”
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