When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? I went through a lot of stages. Around age thirteen I wanted to be a professional skateboarder for the Powell-Peralta Bones Brigade. By the time I was fifteen I was playing guitar in a rock band and had all kinds of …
Pastor
Pastor. There’s so much associated with that word: shepherd, overseer, servant, leader, visionary, spiritual guide, teacher, and prophet just to name a few. I remember when God called me to be a pastor. I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor staring at the ceiling with tears in my eyes on a cold night …
Redemption Stories
The Bible is the story of redemption and it’s filled with redemption stories. For example, the Moabites were not allowed to dwell among God’s people because of their refusal to help the wandering Israelites (Deut. 23). Then Ruth the Moabite shows up. She enters the story and challenges the prejudice against the Moabite people and …
Talking Heads
Recently, when visiting my hometown I got to hang out with an old friend. During our conversation he said, “I don’t have a lot of people in my life that I can talk to about anything significant. People don’t like to think about important issues.” Let that sink in: “People don’t like to think about …
Christian Essentials
When speaking about “Essentials” we are referring to what is indispensable concerning Christian faith and practice. In reflecting upon this subject we always want to leave room for varying ideas, convictions, and opinions. However, we are often confronted with voices that want to make non-essentials essential, making the conversation all the more challenging. The tribe …
Tale of Two Tales
Compassion and competition are two words that we don’t typically use in the same sentence. Compassion is the kingdom way; competition is the American way. As Americans, we celebrate winning at all costs. For us bigger is better. This is not God’s way. He calls us to sacrifice, service, and surrender. God rejoices in the …
