Here’s a reposting of a message I gave to the Confirmation class in 2009. 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to … More Confirmation Message: Walk the Plank!
As the OT comes to a close, God’s plan to bring a tone-deaf and clumsy footed people back into the harmonious rhythms of The Father’s Song seems a giant failure. If only these notes on a page could become music in one’s ear. If only someone could learn to play each note perfectly, perhaps the … More FATHER’S SONG (12): More Than Sheet Music (Jesus)
“It’s amazing, in fact, what one highly charged, crazy man can do.” -Peters & Waterman, In Search for Excellence Here’s my problem. I actually believe our role as Christians today is just as significant as God’s servants in the Bible. Our call is no less real as that of Abraham or Moses, Deborah or Mary, Peter … More Out of my Mind for Christ
This is a repost from a few years back. -JB Chap Clark has written a must-read book for all youth workers and those who want to understand the current world of today’s teenagers. Listen to these honest words of a (typical) high school student in Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers: “I’ve always been … More Masks & Belonging: Deeper than Nude Beaches & Palm Branches
I’ve been studying the history and founding fathers of the Covenant the past several months. Perhaps the greatest influential figure of the 19th century revivals that swept through Sweden was C.O. Rosenius (1816-1868). He became one of Sweden’s most widely read religious writers of his time as the editor of Pietisten used heavily by the Mission Friends … More Carl Olof Rosenius on a Living Faith
What constitutes our fellowship and our unity as Christians/the church? This is a serious question. Many today think we are united by a shared mission or denomination affiliation, by program or strategic goal, or united around a strong leader and his or her vision. Bonhoeffer digs deeper: The more genuine and the deeper our community … More The Essence of Christian Community (Bonhoeffer)
When Jesus says to his disciples, “Take my yoke upon you” and “learn from me” (Matt 11), he is not just drawing upon a vague farming metaphor. “Yoke” was a common metaphor for a particular rabbi’s interpretation and application of God’s torah to everyday life. In Jesus’ day, all devout Jews wholeheartedly sought to live … More “Download My Soundtrack” (Matt 11:28-32)
This is from back in 2012 a few weeks after officially launching weekly worship at MainStreet. Note the sense of urgency in my tone. Have we lost that desperation? -JB 2017 How many of us really take Jesus’ words seriously? I don’t mean picking and choosing the teachings we can tolerate. I mean ALL of … More Cross-Shaped Discipleship in a Comfort-Shaped Culture
“At first a man engages in some forbidden pleasure because he wants to do so; in the end he engages in it because he cannot help doing so. Once a thing becomes a habit it is not far from being a necessity. When a man has allowed some habit, some indulgence, some forbidden practice to … More QUOTABLES: The Murderous Power of Sin (Barclay)
Paul is my hero. Explain his lengthy portfolio of sufferings away, you who dare propagate the demonic prosperity gospel leading so many astray today! One clear promise of the Bible, straight from the lips of Jesus, is that “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world” (John … More The Sufferings of the Apostle Paul
Time to ask that question that divides Christians almost right down the middle: Should Christians have any participation in Halloween activities? Ben Witherington adds some thoughts on the matter. His post begins as follows: Ghosts and Goblins, tricks and treats, houses of horror and costumed heroes and villains. Should Christians have anything to do with … More Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
“Christ is the head; the Church is the body. The head must have a body through which it can work. The Church is quite literally hands to do Christ’s work, feet to run upon his errands, a voice to speak his words. . . . Just a the ideas of the mind cannot become effective … More QUOTABLES: Barclay on the Church’s Tremendous Task
Thanks to Tammi for passing this along to me on a day I needed to be reminded. -JB My Beloved Child, I am writing you today to let you know I am thinking of you. Actually, I am always thinking of you, because you are the apple of my eye. I created you unique and special. There has … More My Beloved Child (Source Unknown)
Scot McKnight hits the nail on the head today. One of the best reminders I’ve had in a long time. Everywhere I go and nearly everyone I read has a theme, whether central or peripheral, and I think the theme is getting too much attention and it’s getting too much play and it’s setting us … More The Cracked Fellowship of Cracked Pots
As someone who helped start a ministry movement among local teens called Revolution, I’m drawn to other people’s descriptions and redefinitions of the Christian faith as something more than ‘church as usual’. I am part of a group of Christians who like the label ‘Revolutionary Christians’. When I’m looking around on Facebook, and reading people’s … More On Christian Labels
One of the most simple but important driving lessons we learned in kindergarten: stay between the lines! In driving you must keep yourself from veering to the left and the right. We must keep ourselves between the yellow center line and the white shoulder line. What do these two colored lines represent on the road … More STUDENT DRIVER 4: Life Between the Lines
Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Let your Name be Holy, May your Kingdom come, May your will be done. John Stott offers the following commentary for us to consider: “The first three petitions in the Lord’s Prayer express our concern for God’s glory in relation to his name, rule and will….It is comparatively easy … More A Revolutionary Prayer
Here is one of the highest points of Jesus’ radical teaching on Christian character and lifestyle. I led a Bible study on this last night, and wanted to share some notes and quotes largely taken from Barclay’s Daily Bible Study Series. Enjoy. Eye for Eye 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for … More Non-Retaliation & Radical Love (Matt 5:38-48)
By Amy Frykholm, at Christian Century (found at Jesus Creed): One thing is clear: a church shouldn’t measure the effectiveness of its ministries solely by counting members. “Let’s say that JoAnn has joined a committee. Great. I can measure that,” said Mueller. “But let’s say that Mark is living his baptism in committed ways in his daily … More Church Membership in a Consumer Culture
Here’s another reflection from Pastor David Brown. We have a gopher problem. I am not sure if it is one gopher or two or many. What i do know is that last fall mounds started appearing on the rear edge of our back yard. I haven’t found any new mounds this year, but i have … More The Gopher & the Pacifist (by David Brown)
We’re going through the Sermon on the Mount this summer at MainStreet. This week we covered the Beatitudes. Here’s John Stott’s concise, insightful summary of these 8 countercultural kingdom qualities Jesus calls us to develop. Blessed are (1) the poor in spirit, (2) those who mourn, (3) the meek, (4) those who hunger and thirst … More John Stott on the Beatitudes
What do you think of Greg’s challenge today? In what is hands-down the most amazing prayer ever recorded, Jesus prayed to his Father that his disciples “may be one…just as you are in me and I am in you” so that “the world may believe that you sent me” (Jn.17:21). In other words, Jesus … More The “Heresy” of Failing to Love (by Greg Boyd)
I’m reposting this always timely topic. This post was also featured at Jesus Creed last year HERE. We love to throw around the notion of career “calling” and “vocation,” both in the context of Christian ministry and secular career. I believe we’ve becomesloppy in our concept and understanding of “calling.” What we do agree on is … More Discerning God’s Call
Jesus is quite clear about the purpose his disciples are supposed to serve as they follow Jesus’ unique way of life together as described in the Sermon on the Mount. They are supposed to be salt and light to those around them. The task becomes all that much clearer and challenging when we personalize this … More ‘Ye are the Light of Mound’
Jeremy L. Berg 