“Anyone who listens to my teaching and puts it into practice is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24 Dallas Willard wrote relentlessly urging Christians to place real, rugged apprenticeship to Jesus back at the center of Christian faith and the church’s task. The problem, Willard says, is that “The … More Jesus As LifeCoach
The problem wasn’t simply that the mob displayed Christian symbols, but that they saw no contradiction between those symbols and their actions. The cross is a symbol of surrender and self-sacrifice; it represents Jesus’ relinquishing of power and his refusal to retaliate against his enemies. At the Capitol, however, the cross was erected next to a gallows and carried by those calling for their political enemies to be executed. … More January 6: A ‘Christian’ Insurrection?
Let me share what I gleaned from bringing my daughter to dance camp this week. … More My Daughter’s Dance Camp and the Kingdom
In the age of cancel culture, mercy makes enemies. David French explores why compassion can be so divisive in Jesus’ day and ours. … More Why Compassion Is Divisive (David French)
Throughout Holy Week, two competing approaches to peacemaking collide. Jason asks, “What if we’ve embraced the wrong one?” Here’s a great conversation to usher you into Holy Week. … More Fight Like Jesus During Holy Week
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. By this definition, many pastors and church leaders may just be insane. … More Casting Nets: A Challenge to Pastors
I saw an ad today inviting leaders, content creators, and influencers to learn how to make their faith go viral. What if we instead focus on helping Jesus’ faith and ethics go viral? … More Viral Jesus For an Infected Church
The past year revealed many Christians being animated by the wrong “spirit” and buying into lies and misinformation rather than the truth. Here’s some wisdom from Jesus for the New Year. … More ‘Spirit’ and ‘Truth’ for a New Year
I don’t know about you, but it sends a shiver down my spine to think that there was a strange moment on a mysterious mountain long ago and far far away where three heroes of history huddled up to discuss my deliverance! … More A Holy Huddle and a Game Winning Play
In today’s Mount Mystic Meditation, I want you to reflect on what it feel like to be “chosen” for something special. Can you think of a time you were selected for some special role, or reward, or experience, or trip? Likewise, how does it feel to be overlooked and watch others get chosen ahead of you? … More He Chose Them, And Us Too!
I wonder if we share Nicodemus’s wonder and curiosity about Jesus and the kingdom he’s bringing. Are we consumed with questions about what God is up to in Jesus? Given a private meeting with Jesus, what questions would we ask him? … More The Chosen 7: Face to Face with Jesus
My friend John Phelps shared a powerful sermonette in Israel that brought many to tears. Standing in the Garden of Gethsemane he said, “This is my first time standing in this place, and yet I’ve been here many times.” He shared wisdom on how to face our own suffering, and now he’s battling brain cancer and practicing what he preached. … More Facing Your Own Gethsemane
Rigid traditions create small boxes with well defined borders. Small boxes define a world where some are in (us) and some are out (the outcast). We see this portrayed in this video; we see this in scripture, and, unfortunately, we see this in the world we live in today. … More Chosen 6 – The Spiritual Toxicity of Fear & Rigidity
We think the kingdom comes by taking responsibility, putting in the blood, sweat and tears, grabbing life (and faith) by the horns. This is life, faith, and ministry under the heavy yoke. This is the pathway to burnout, bitterness, and disillusionment with God and religion. This is doing God’s work without God’s presence and power. … More I Am Nicodemus
“I no longer go by that name.” These are the words out of Mary of Magdala’s mouth as she is stopped by Nicodemus in the street, recently healed from her demonic affliction in episode one. Her healing was set into motion when Jesus called her by her true name, and she threw off her false identity – “Lilith.” The same healing awaits us. … More Chosen 2 – “I No Longer Go By That Name”
What happens when the words about Jesus in the Bible leap off the page and become “living and active” among us? We have a fresh encounter with the real Jesus. This has happened to me this summer, and for millions of viewers around the world through the TV series The Chosen. … More The Chosen: The Sermon Goes Visual this Fall
What message does a father preach at his firstborn’s baptism? Well, if his name is Peter, he loves adventurous sea stories, and desires to be a bold disciple, how about Matthew 14:22-33? … More Waters of Faith: A Baptism Sermon
Today’s episode explores the Exodus and the God of the oppressed in our ongoing series, “Spirit on the Water.” Let’s drop anchor and explore the biblical vision for “social justice.” … More Podcast: “Is the Bible Too Woke For Many Christians?”
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus drew huge crowds. There was an irresistible enigma to him. He is the ultimate charismatic teacher and leader. What is it about Jesus’ teaching and his style of teaching that was so attractive? … More Wise Teaching
If people could open up my mind and peek into my thought-world, they’d find an amusement park full of wild ideas rising and falling like rollercoasters, a hyper-colored circus full of spiritual insights roaming like elephants a under the big tent, and outside the box ministry visions shooting across my mind like clowns out of a cannon. … More A Mustard Seed Future For the Church
Like Jesus, every preacher should have a story of being pressed into a corner and seeing fire in the eyes of an offended congregant after a sermon, unless they are in the ear-tickling business. … More How A Preacher Gets Thrown Off a Cliff Then & Now
“Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” LUKE 15 Just a reminder that I am breathing new life into many old devotionals with my Daily Illumination Audio podcast. It’s a lot of fun to “perform” these old stories in audio format. This past week, for example, I shared this piece on Chasing Lambs. … More Chasing Lambs
Michael Wilkins introduces the rabbinic concept of shimmush which means “attending upon and coming under the personal influence of the teacher and learning from his deportment. “But shimmush itself was a study of Torah,” Wilkins continues, “because the rabbi’s life was to be an embodiment of Torah.” … More Jesus, Shimmush, and the Torah
In our 21st century context where students are primarily focused on the teacher’s content, and the teacher is just a vehicle for delivering “the goods,” we are far from the teacher-centric world of first century Judaism. … More Adherence to the Master
Why is the world so messed up? Where is God in all of this? What role, if any, do Satan, angels and demons play in all this? How do we face evil and suffering in a Christ-centered way? Join us for a 6-week course on “God, Evil, & Spiritual Warfare” kicking off this Sunday! … More 6-Week Course: God, Evil, & Spiritual Warfare
Kingdom Harbor 