Q&A: Why do prayers go unanswered?

Repost from 2018. -JB “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, TEACHING in the synagogues…and he HEALED every kind of disease and illness” (Matt 9:35). My sermon text for this Sunday is Mark 1:29-39 which displays Jesus’ powerful healing ministry, first with Simon’s mother-in-law, and then “the whole city was gathered … More Q&A: Why do prayers go unanswered?

StarryEyed Birthday Girls & CrossEyed Disciples

Yesterday our youngest,  Abigail, celebrated her 4th birthday with a day filled with  sparkly balloons, glittery outfits and unicorns! She is crazy about unicorns at the moment. I just tucked her into bed wearing her unicorn jammies, a unicorn snap bracelet on her wrist, a unicorn headband, hugging a unicorn stuffed animal, and reading her … More StarryEyed Birthday Girls & CrossEyed Disciples

The Pilgrim’s Progress & Our Story Shaped Lives

During one of my Christmas breaks in college, I came home with an old paperback version of John Bunyan’s 17th century classic The Pilgrim’s Progress.  I was going through a radical spiritual awakening, and was voraciously devouring the Christian classics I missed as a non-reading sports jock in high school. The Pilgrim’s Progress collided with my … More The Pilgrim’s Progress & Our Story Shaped Lives

Angels in the Desert

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place!” (Genesis 28:16-17) One of my all-time favorite stories in the Bible is about Jacob in Genesis 28:10-17, running scared in the desert, thirsty, lonely, doubting God’s promise and his own future. He lies down to sleep, with his head … More Angels in the Desert