I’m concerned about the strong river current of ideas we are swimming against and the polluted atmosphere created by the larger cultural narratives we are breathing in uncritically. … More Happiness or Character?
The Work of Christmas by Rev Dr Howard Thurman (1899-1981) When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To … More The Work of Christmas
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10). If I were called to the hospital bedside of a person who just attempted but failed to take their own life, I think I would bring this … More EPHESIANS 14: God’s Masterpiece (2:10)
I preached this sermon in the summer of 2012 to rally the congregation of to make a deeper commitment to MainStreet and invest financially in our building campaign to move into our own space at Stonegate Plaza. A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER It was spring break of 1998—my senior year of high school. Several of my … More SERMON: Church Road Trip
There are two major building projects undertaken in the story of Scripture — they both continue today. In our study of 1 Peter we discover that each believer is called to be a part of God’s “spiritual temple” He is building. In the OT era, God’s healing, forgiving presence dwelled in the physical temple in Jerusalem. People … More A Tale of Two Buildings (1 Peter 2:4-11)
A repost from a few years back. -JB What if our faith was as real and powerful as the faith of the Apostle Paul, Peter, James and John, Mary and Lydia, Priscilla and Aquilla? What if our experience of church today was as exciting as those in the upper room at Pentecost, as action-packed as … More Cultivating an Apostolic Imagination
I spent a long season of “waiting on God” for a vocation that would both utilize my gifts and impact the Kingdom. Nothing was more thrilling than those moments where God seemed to give me a glimpse of a vision of the kind of life I want to live. I wrote the following on August … More Hangin’ on a Vision
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’
I’ve been pulling DI classics out of the old archives this summer. The following is one of the more random posts I’ve written — hence, the title! Honestly, I wonder what exactly I was trying to say. But I feel today that same anticipatory spirit I was feeling back then in ’06. God is preparing … More Out of the Silent Fog to the Tuna Juggling Spectacular
One of my good friends in youth ministry, Paul Baudhuin at St. Croix Valley United Methodist Church, has an outstanding vision and purpose set out for his youth group. I can’t help but share it. While many students often only see what’s on the surface level of the “youth group experience” — the fun and … More More Than ‘Youth Group’
We’re comparing the differences between John Piper and N. T. Wright on Paul and the New Perspective using helpful summaries compiled by Trevin Wax featured in the June edition of Christianity Today. Today we look at their respective views of the Law and Covenant. What is the purpose of the Law and Covenant? WRIGHT: God … More Piper vs. Wright (2): The Law & Covenant
Jeremy L. Berg 