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
Nearly 20,000 people gathered on Sunday, April 24th at Qwest field in Seattle to form the largest church service to ever take place in the Pacific Northwest. Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most important and influential man who has ever lived. His Twitter feed this afternoon … More A Stadium-sized Easter Celebration!
I have spent most of my adult life in youth ministry. This video gets to the heart of the biggest challenge facing today’s youth — and it’s only escalating and getting worse. My dear parents, teachers, youthworkers, coaches — we need to put our heads together and make some changes before it is too late. … More Race To Nowhere: Are We Stealing Our Kids’ Childhoods?
Ok, here’s a good discussion starter. I had coffee with a dear pastor friend of mine who was NOT happy about the way some churches are choosing to celebrate Easter. Many churches have decided a great way to celebrate Easter is by spending thousands of dollars on renting a helicopter and dropping thousands of plastic … More God so loved the world that He….dropped plastic eggs from a helicopter?
I’m reading the great biography of Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It’s very long and filled with wonderful quotes from Bonhoffer’s writings and letters. But the following quote rises above them all, one that so resonates with my own passion and convictions that I told Keri last night, “This would be a quote I would like … More QUOTABLES: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Here’s a story from a pastor friend of mine. We both enjoy watching squirrels, though I can’t say I enjoy reading about raising chickens. Enjoy! I was sitting on the outdoor patio of a great little coffee shop in the Swede Hollow neighborhood of St Paul yesterday. I was waiting for a phone call from … More A Squirrel Tale (by David Brown)
Donald Miller Tweet (@Donmilleris): “Every morning, I get up, brush my teeth, get dressed, and then watch this video. Then I go back to bed.” HILARIOUS!
“The deepest crevasse of hell is reserved for theologians who love their theology more than they love Jesus.” -Karl Barth
Some mysterious Spirit-initiated transformation happened inside me. The transformation was sparked rather suddenly around age 19 when I first began to hear the Living God speaking to me through the sermons of Pastor David Johnson of Church of the Open Door. Notice: I had been hearing sermons my whole life in church. But suddenly I … More Some Thoughts on Preaching
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’
Here’s a glimpse of the people God is calling into our mission of launching MainStreet Covenant Church in Mound!
Thoughts?
We are living into our vision of being people who are “in the marketplace daily with all who happen to be there” (Acts 17:17). Dave and Melissa met us in the Farmer’s Market, Deano heard about us from the chiropractor, and recently Laurie bumped into us at Caribou Coffee. Here’s her story: “A young man … More LAURIE’S STORY: A Coffeeshop Connection
Ben Witherington is picking apart Rob Bell’s Love Wins chapter by chapter here. Here’s a taste of his critique of chapter 7: Let me be clear that I think in one sense Rob is right—- God is not quixotic. He is not gracious and loving one moment, and cruel the moment after you die. I … More Rethinking Rob Bell’s Rethinking of Hell & Rethinking It Again
“[The] God we seek is the God we want, not the God who is. We fashion a god who blesses without obligation, who lets us feel his presence without living his life, who stands with us and never against us, who gives us what we want, when we want it. We worship a god of … More QUOTABLES: Mark Labberton
We’re going! Why aren’t you?
“God’s ways are not our ways,” we often say somewhat flippantly. But to what extent are we willing to live into that reality? How far “out there” are we willing to in our obedient to God? Are we willing to follow the Apostle Paul in being “fools for Christ” (1 Cor 4)? Will we risk … More Strong & Courageous 3
I was blessed to be sitting at a table having breakfast yesterday with a fella who was baptized in a high school pool the evening before. Sadly, this is rare for me. By God’s grace I hope to be surrounded by a constant flow of newly baptized believers in the years ahead — and may … More A Cruciform Perspective
Word on the street is that “The Hobbit” movie is indeed coming….
In Joshua 4 the Israelites cross the Jordan River after God miraculously parts the waters for them. To commemorate the mighty work of God among them, Joshua has them set up 12 stones to be reminders of God’s faithfulness. “When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men … More Strong & Courageous 2
If you are in high school or college, or at any point in your life, make Scot McKnight’s One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow mandatory summer reading. Here’s a taste from Scot’s blog: I grew up with the idea that I could only be happy if I found “God’s will.” People do weird things because they … More Discovering God’s Will (Scot McKnight)
Why does C.S. Lewis often get a pass with the same crowd that has written Rob Bell off as a heretic or at least heterodox? C. S. Lewis held to many theological positions that pushed the theological envelope just as far — especially related to Hell — and he fairs alright among the crowd that … More C. S. Lewis, Rob Bell & Two Kinds of People
Kingdom Harbor 