“I find an increasing number of young Christians are willing to say “enough is enough” when it comes to militarism, to military budgets, and to embracing a peace orientation toward how Christians are to live in a world of international conflicts. Ronald Sider (Christ and Violence) and John Howard Yoder (The Politics of Jesus ) have … More QUOTABLES: Scot McKnight on Non-Violence
As I was reading scripture the other day I made 2 observations – 1) strong, emotional words are often used in scripture and 2) that I have almost completely removed strong emotions from my practice of Christianity and made it an intellectual pursuit. For as long as I can remember, certainly back to HS, I’ve … More Emotional Faith (by Mike Fox)
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught … More His Name is Peter 7 – Life Outside the Boat
Now for some borderline inappropriate humor with some profound truth underneath. :) Friends are like panties…Some crawl up your butt. Some snap under pressure. Some don’t have the strength to hold you up. Some get a little twisted. Some are your favorite. Some are holy. Some are cheap. Some are naughty. And some actually cover … More Worth a Chuckle
The Enemy did his best to drown me in doubt last week. In that darkness, I received a text message from a friend with a Bible verse with the perfect message at the perfect time: “Let us not grow weary in doing good. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we … More Through the Fog
In my home state of Minnesota there are only two seasons: winter and road construction. Road construction season coincides however with another seasonal Minnesota pastime—cabin fever! Every Friday afternoon during the warm months you’ll find a mass exodus of cars heading north for the weekend. The irony of it all is that in order to … More STUDENT DRIVER 9: The Road Less Travelled
Slideshow of Peter Bjorn. A special thanks to Emily Hammar for her beautiful photography! Music by Storyhill.
This is singlehandedly one of the best essays I’ve read on a Biblical Understanding of Sexuality, Marriage, Singleness, Dating and more by Timothy Keller. Though quite long, well worth plowing through to the end. Essay: The Gospel & Sex by Timothy Keller
I’ve been facing some serious spiritual oppression this past week. I’ve been fighting off doubt and discouragement, and trying to hear the Voice of God amidst the distorted cacophony of messages from the Evil One. Seeking a Word from God on how best to lead our MainStreet team forward this fall, I set out on … More A Frog at Midnight
1 Sam 3:1-10 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God … More Pursued by Grace (by Mike Fox)
The gate is wide and the road is smooth that leads to destruction, and there are many who travel it. But the gate is narrow and the road is rugged that leads to life, and there are few who take it (Matt 7:13-14). Turn around. Change direction. Make a U-turn. These are all accurate … More STUDENT DRIVER 8: U-Turns Allowed
When he had finished speaking, [Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of … More His Name Is Peter 6 – ‘I’m a Sinful Man’
Boy, did we have fun going to see Burlap to Cashmere live in concert back in 1998 as freshman in college. They played, believe it or not, at the old New Union (before it moved downtown and became Club 3 Degrees). After their award winning full album release in 1998, which was warmly received and … More MUSIC: ‘Burlap to Cashmere’ is Back – 13 years later!!
A very well-balanced, must read article on Evangelical Christianity and the influence of the late Rev. John Stott by New York Times by Nicholas Kristof. He begins: IN these polarized times, few words conjure as much distaste in liberal circles as “evangelical Christian.” That’s partly because evangelicals came to be associated over the last 25 … More Giving Evangelicals A Fair Shake (NY Times)
“Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”(which, when translated, is Peter)” (John 1:42). Dear Peter Bjorn, There were many names popular in Jesus’ day. Simon was on the top of the boy list for sure. Likewise, there were the popular names of 2011 when you were … More His Name Is Peter 5 – Nickname
You have heard it said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” But I’m more convinced it is paved with bad directions. If Eve’s grave sin in the garden was a failure to follow God’s directions, her punishment has been putting up with Adam the rest of the way who refuses to … More STUDENT DRIVER 7: Asking for Directions
Peter said, “Master, I’m ready for anything with you. I’d go to jail for you. I’d die for you!” Jesus said, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me.” (Luke 22:33-34) Dear Peter Bjorn, The first thing you should know … More His Name Is Peter 4 – A Masterpiece in the Making
Dear Peter Bjorn, When I was a teenager I met another Peter who turned out to be a lot like Simon Peter in the Bible. We would become the best of friends, as we are still today. There’s a scene in John 1 where Simon Peter’s brother Andrew has a powerful encounter with Jesus, and … More His Name Is Peter 3 – My Best Friend
“Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:33-37) Dear Peter Bjorn, I want to introduce you to two very special people — … More His Name Is Peter 2 – Jesus’ Best Friend
Suzi shared this devotional at Keri’s baby shower a while back. Enjoy. Sometimes it would be nice to know the future. Some of the characters in the BIble were given a glimpse of it. In Genesis 15, God promises Abram a son. When none was forthcoming with his wife Sarai, he had a son with … More Raising Children, Honoring God (by Suzi Fox)
There will be a highway called the Holy Road… It’s for God’s people exclusively — impossible to get lost on this road. Not even fools can get lost on it” (Isaiah 35:8). When we finally leave the classroom and hit the highway, we find no shortage of traffic — both in real life and the spiritual … More STUDENT DRIVER 6: Driving Aimlessly
Recently I caught myself using those words for about the 100th time in a week. “If only I would’ve…”, “If only I wouldn’t have…”, “If only I had saved more money”, “If only I hadn’t eaten so much last night”. If only things were different. I think about the future in much the same manner. … More “If Only…” (by Mike Fox)
My firstborn buddy turns 3 years today, and I’m reposting this series from his birth on the meaning of his name. Enjoy! -JB What’s in a name, anyways? In a culture where most parents choose names that sound nice or are currently trendy, we find ourselves far from the world of the Bible. Names were … More His Name Is Peter 1
We’re excited to introduce to the world our son Peter Bjorn, born July 18 at 4:54 PM. He was 8 pounds and 21.5 inches with long, skinny fingers and toes like his dad, and (almost) as cute as his mom. He is named after Simon Peter “the rock” and his daddy’s best friend Peter and … More It’s a boy!
Kingdom Harbor 