Cabin 03: Traveling Light
October 11, 2016
Can you imagine a weekend at Jesus’ lake cabin? Join us for this summer series. … More Cabin 03: Traveling Light
Category: Devotional
Cabin 02: The Invitation
October 8, 2016
My heart nearly lept out of my chest with excitement. And yet the lump in my throat was hard to swallow. I was paralyzed with delightful dread at the thought of a personal invitation from Jesus. “What kind of an invitation?” I asked. Again, still wondering who the prankster was on the other end of the … More Cabin 02: The Invitation
Cabin 01: The Voice
October 5, 2016
I was jolted out of a deep and dreamy sleep by my vibrating cell on my night stand. Light beamed through the crack in my window shade, a sharp focused ray of sunshine right in my face. Blinded and disoriented, I fumbled for my phone. As my eyes adjusted, the room looked somehow different. The … More Cabin 01: The Voice
A Non-Anxious Presence in an Anxious World
October 1, 2016
Christianity Today (September ’16) featured the findings of a LifeWay Research survey that asked 2,000 people who do NOT attend church what would draw them to one. The results were revealing: Skye Jethani, on the Phil Vischer Podcast, insightfully asked the following question while discussing this survey: What does it say about our deepest concerns and highest … More A Non-Anxious Presence in an Anxious World
Gospeling in Corinth 3: God-Empowered
September 24, 2016
1-2You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified. 3-5I was unsure of … More Gospeling in Corinth 3: God-Empowered
Gospeling in Corinth 2: God-Chosen
September 22, 2016
Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose … More Gospeling in Corinth 2: God-Chosen
Faith Proved Genuine (1 Peter 1:3-9)
September 20, 2016
Peter shares the purpose of his letter in 5:12 to encourage believers to “stand firm in the true grace of God.” The letter aims to ground us in a rock-solid faith that can withstand the trials that come our way, and to let God’s grace shape the way we interact with others as we live out … More Faith Proved Genuine (1 Peter 1:3-9)
Counting on God: Kingdom Mathematics
August 31, 2016
It’s easy to get obsessed with numbers in our world. The more the merrier. The bigger the better. A packed room makes a fun party, and a poor turnout has us asking, “What’s wrong?” Make no mistake about it, numbers do matter. Especially when it concerns the spreading of the gospel and reaching people for … More Counting on God: Kingdom Mathematics
With Jesus Small is Really Big
July 12, 2016
Repost from 2010. -JB The biggest things I’ve done for the Kingdom have usually looked pitifully small by the world’s standards. The most heroic acts of faithfulness have usually looked like stupid acts of irrelevance to the watching world. Following Jesus and investing your life in Kingdom impacting efforts may sometimes cost you. Is the … More With Jesus Small is Really Big
GOLF & GOD (8): Relax! It’s Just a Game
June 23, 2015
We live in a world that has largely forgotten how to play. When our worth and value is measured primarily by what we DO for a living and how much we ACCOMPLISH individually, then just “wasting a day” in the pure enjoyment of a fun hobby or game is really a lost art and rare … More GOLF & GOD (8): Relax! It’s Just a Game
GOLF & GOD (7): Mastering God’s Green
June 20, 2015
Ask any golf expert what separates the pros from the pack of beginners and intermediate “hackers” on the course, and they will all tell you its the putting game. Many people mistakingly believe that its the 300 yard drive that makes the pros so good. While a long tee shot doesn’t hurt at all, it’s … More GOLF & GOD (7): Mastering God’s Green
GOLF & GOD (6): The Mind Game
June 15, 2015
Every golfer knows that what goes on between the ears is just as critical for success as all the other mechanics that go into a golfer’s game. In fact, long after you have mastered the mechanics of a smooth, skillful golf swing, the mental game continues to be the greatest obstacle for the advanced golfer. … More GOLF & GOD (6): The Mind Game
GOLF & GOD (4): Out of Bounds
June 11, 2015
Almost every single sporting game involves the use of established boundaries and penalizes players for going “out of bounds.” Whether we’re playing football, baseball, soccer, the gymnastics floor exercise or the game of golf, every honest player accepts the established boundaries and agrees to abide by the official rules of the game. And, if you’ve … More GOLF & GOD (4): Out of Bounds
GOLF & GOD (3): Sand Traps: Blessing or Curse?
June 7, 2015
I worked on the grounds crew at Burl Oaks Golf Club in high school for four years. I absolutely loved almost every aspect of this job — mowing the greens, fairways and roughs, moving the hole placements, landscaping, washing and gassing carts. I can still smell the fresh morning air as I remember mowing greens … More GOLF & GOD (3): Sand Traps: Blessing or Curse?
GOLF & GOD (2): Playing the Fairway
June 4, 2015
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt 7:13-14). The flag stands some 500 yards away on … More GOLF & GOD (2): Playing the Fairway
Puzzle Pieces & Box Covers
May 18, 2015
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5) Have you ever tried putting together a puzzle without having the box cover to show you what the finished product is supposed to look like? Without the cover picture we only a jumble of pieces that might, taken individually, give us a … More Puzzle Pieces & Box Covers
Gridlock on the Sinai Expressway
April 27, 2015
Here’s a repost from 2010. -JB If you get cranky when rush-hour turns your drive home into a 40-minute commute, imagine being stuck on the Sinai Expressway for 40-years — and on a bus filled with hundreds of other cranky passengers! Perhaps, “road rage” is not as new a phenomenon as we might think. When … More Gridlock on the Sinai Expressway
Wedding Parable of the Grandfather Clock
April 13, 2015
Here’s a parable I wrote for a wedding homily. -JB Once there was a newly wed couple who only weeks after their wedding day inherited their grandfather’s beautiful old house in the country. Overflowing joy filled the old house on the day they moved in to begin their new life together. To their great surprise, … More Wedding Parable of the Grandfather Clock
GARBAGE DAY 1 – Got Junk?
March 20, 2015
The following Lenten reflections come from a chapter entitled “Garbage Day” from an unpublished devotional book of mine exploring the deeper realities of faith through the daily routines of life (read more about my “Sacred Analogies”). This chapter explores the reality of the spiritual garbage (i.e., sin) in our souls and why we need to … More GARBAGE DAY 1 – Got Junk?
Alarm Clock: Reflections on Spiritual Awakening
March 5, 2015
In the “Alarm Clock” series Jeremy offers some spiritual lessons and biblical insights from the all-too-familiar process of waking up. This excerpt is called “Christmas Gifts & Final Exams.” Enjoy! Six-o-clock. The alarm has sounded. The sun is peeking through the half-raised shade, piercing your squinting eyes as you roll over to hit the snooze bar for … More Alarm Clock: Reflections on Spiritual Awakening
Jacob and the Wardrobe
November 25, 2014
Here’s an old DI classic from the winter of ’06. Enjoy! Most of us can remember sharing those childhood adventures exploring secret passages and hidden closets in the home of a friend or relative. It was always the closets tucked under the stairs that seemed the most mysterious to me. At five years of age, … More Jacob and the Wardrobe
Cracked Pot Confessions
September 22, 2014
This is an oldie but goodie from the old DI archives from 2007. A good reminder that though we’re all broken people, we have a God who shines his grace through all the cracks of our lives. “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes … More Cracked Pot Confessions
The Absurdity-Driven Life
August 11, 2014
“If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God.” (2 Cor 5:13) Do you make several “foolish” decisions a day? Do people often look at you strangely, shake their head with scorn and just walk away? Do you regularly get accused of being silly, foolish or extremely impractical by those … More The Absurdity-Driven Life
“Get Out of the Way” Theology
August 6, 2014
When I meet Christians who are infatuated with their own depravity because it supposedly puts God on display, I often wonder what they do with certain Bible passages. You’ve met them often enough. They have a “Get out of the Way” theology. They appropriately fear self-righteousness and pride in their faith. They rightly want to … More “Get Out of the Way” Theology
Mountain God 6: Facing Idols (1 Kings 18)
July 31, 2014
“Mountain God” is a series of reflections I shared on a youth adventure trip climbing in the Rocky Mountains in 2009. “It’s not I who has caused trouble in Israel,” said Elijah, “but you and your government—you’ve dumped God’s ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals. Here’s what I want … More Mountain God 6: Facing Idols (1 Kings 18)
Kingdom Harbor 