The world is feeling dark these days. Polarized, increasingly hostile attitudes prevail. Really scary things are happening. ISIS. Gun violence. Political discord. In times of anxiety and fear, our faith can get murky. In John’s gospel, Jesus makes an unexpected promise. He says, “In this world you will have trouble.” But then, he turns this […]
Weekend Wisdom / How to Read the Bible with Jesus as Your Lens, Part 1
If the Bible isn’t a flat text, where every verse has the same weight and authority, then how do we know which verses to give priority to? If the best way (maybe the only way) to read the Bible is to read it selectively, then what determines how we select? Are we only left with […]
Weekend Wisdom / How to read the Bible when it seems like ANYONE can make it say ANYTHING.
Here’s where I’m going to tell you that you really need to read the Bible selectively. I know. That pushes buttons and waves red flags. But stick with me for a few minutes and see what I mean. Christians all say the Bible has authority in their lives. But what does that mean exactly? How […]
Weekend Wisdom / How to read the Bible when you keep getting bogged down in Leviticus
Good Christians read the Bible, right? In fact, Good Christians have read the Bible all the way through… multiple times. Many Christians have, that’s true. And yet in a couple decades of ministry, I’ve clearly seen that the sense of obligation that people have around reading the Bible all the way through is one of […]
Weekend Wisdom / How to read the Bible when it seems like nothing but ancient & irrelevant rules.
The Bible is God’s word, right? That means the rules and standards in the Bible are God’s rules and standards, right? Well… it’s not quite that simple. The Bible has quite a number of rules and standards in it. For some people, the rules have been their primary experience of the Bible. In fact for some it’s […]
Weekend Wisdom / How to read the Bible when you know too much.
The Bible is a vital tool for learning about Jesus and building a relationship with God. Yet, many people have a difficult relationship with the Bible. A variety of hurdles keep them from experiencing the Bible in a life-giving way. This summer, to help with this problem, I’m teaching a series called, “How to read […]
Weekend Wisdom / Walking in the In-Between Moment
Are you living in an in-between moment? Something in your life is unresolved? You’ve prayed about it, and it seems like no answer has come? How do we live in this in-between space? Chapter 4 of John’s gospel ends with a miracle story, but buried in the middle of the story is one of these […]
Weekend Wisdom / Tell Your Jesus Story
Evangelism. Some Christians love it. Some hate it. The problem isn’t with Jesus. It’s with the expectations and methods that we’ve been taught. In Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well, we learn from the first recorded evangelist. What we see is rather different than what we’ve often been taught. If you’d prefer to […]
Weekend Wisdom / Spirit & Truth Right Now.
Jesus’ conversation with the outsider woman at the well in Samaria, starts to go personal. At that moment the woman brings up a long-standing theological debate. “Where are we supposed to worship?” This question is about more than geography. It’s a question about truth. Who has it? Jesus’ answer is surprising. He talks about worshiping in […]
Weekend Wisdom / Living Water Within
In a conversation with a woman who was as much of an outsider as you can be, Jesus made a radical promise. He offered something called “living water.” He said that by asking him, she could receive a perpetual inner well of this living water bubbling up to an eternal kind of life. What is […]
Weekend Wisdom / When Your Plans Failing is the Best Thing For You
You don’t have to get your way. Did you know that? When it seems like your plans are falling apart when you’re in the middle of uncomfortable circumstances that are out of your control, have you considered that maybe–just maybe–your mess is exactly what God needs to bring about something new in your life? This […]
Weekend Wisdom / The Always Prayer
Life comes at us like a freight train, a thundering sequence of commitments, obligations, and information that demand our attention. In the rush, it’s so easy to lose track of our spiritual focus. How do we keep our hearts and minds aligned with the new life we’ve been given? The Apostle Paul offers direction about a […]
Weekend Wisdom / Living with Open Hands
The first thing generosity brings to mind is giving — giving of time, or money. Talking about giving in church is notoriously awkward. The conversation is usually laced with oughts and shoulds, and focuses on obligation and obedience. But that’s a stunning misunderstanding of the point. Our attitude toward giving is a direct window into our […]
Weekend Wisdom / Living Like There’s More
Every decision you make passes through the same filter. How you relate to money and time, how you treat the people around you, even your family. The way you deal with people you disagree with. Your response in these situations is filtered through your core sense of generosity. Your level of generosity comes from a perspective […]
Weekend Wisdom / Share What You’ve Been Given
The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. God’s plan is to work through you in the work to bring new life where there is death, healing where there is brokenness. But how do we participate in that? Does it require special training? Special skills? No. It’s much simpler than you think. […]