I grew up in the church, and did all the church things you do when church is your natural habitat. Church school through 8th grade. Attended and later worked at Christian summer camps. Countless VBS’s, sermons, prayer meetings, and discipleship classes. I don’t share that to brag. I learned lots of ideas about God and […]
I will make you fishers of men. Really?
My vision is changing. It happened suddenly. If I’m sitting on the couch looking at my computer screen and I look up at the TV across the room, I can almost hear the gears slowly racheting as the image comes into focus. Whirrrr. Click. Sputter. My machinery is getting old. Seeing the focusing process unfolding […]
A bigger life needs a bigger gospel.
A friend of mine was upset. She had just signed up for an online coaching experience. The marketing was strong and professional. The reputation of the coach was sterling. She even had some experience with previous products from this person that were great. So, she laid down a good chunk of money for the opportunity. […]
Which Eternal Life are you Chasing?
I’ve always been intrigued by the big questions of life. Who am I really? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? That’s why things like mission statements and core values (You should get some!) are intriguing to me. I like to know the overview. Growing up in a religious home and community, I was given […]
100 Reasons You Should Not Go to Church & One Reason You Should.
Would you take motorcycle classes and then never ride? Would you learn to play an instrument, but then never make music? Or learn to cook but never do it? It sounds absurd, yet this is exactly the situation in the lives of many Christians. This strange situation is actually built into the programs of many […]
The overlooked key to spiritual growth
Learning to ride a motorcycle taught me about the commonly overlooked key to spiritual growth. In Oregon now you can no longer just go to the DMV, take a test and be on your way. Now you have to take the Team Oregon Basic Rider Training course. (I learned a lot about myself in the […]
The 7 Commitments of an Apprentice of Jesus
Have you ever learned from a master? Maybe you took music lessons from a maestro or someone great in your field mentored you. When you learn from a real master, you learn information, but there’s more to it, isn’t there? You also learn a host of indefinable things – attitude, posture, vocabulary. You see who […]
Jesus calls us to be what?
God has a plan for your life, but it might not be what you think. God’s plan for you is not that you’d be real good. It’s not that you’d join a certain religious club. It’s not that you’d travel to Burundi to be a missionary, or go to a certain college, or marry that […]
Following Jesus: It’s Something You DO.
Something was different about those first followers of Jesus. They didn’t have slick advertising campaigns, Christian concerts and famous speakers. They didn’t have brochures or tracts. They didn’t have beautiful buildings with big signs out front. Yet, somehow, they managed to make an unprecedented mark on the world. Instead of doing marketing, they lived their […]
Following Jesus: It’s Not Just Believing
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Maybe you grew up in the church and for you that meant believing a certain list of doctrines or behaving in a certain way. Maybe it was the religion of your family and you just followed along. Perhaps at a concert or camp someone got […]
Good news! You don’t have to earn access to God.
Want God to answer your prayers? Want a sense of intimacy with God? Then you have to show you’re serious in your commitment. You need to be doing all the right things and avoiding all the wrong ones. Try harder, believe more, really mean it this time. Not everyone believes this, but a lot of […]
My Easter gift to you: The Story Your Heart is Desperate to Hear
For some of you Easter is a fun springtime holiday. For others of you, it’s the celebration of the most important moment in history. I want to offer you another possibility: Easter is an entire world-view, and one I suggest that you are desperate for, whether you know it or not. Today’s post is long. […]
Are You on the Journey of the Wise Men?
The Christmas Journey The Christmas season is all about journeys. People are traveling in order to be home with family. Kids are heading to the Grandparent’s house. College campuses are abandoned ghost towns. The Christmas story itself is full of journeys. Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem because of the census. The Angels traveled from […]
Do You Know Too Much About Jesus?
That Didn’t Turn Out So Well! A while back I was working through the Gospel of Matthew in my personal worship time. I came across a sad couple of verses at the very end of chapter 13. They challenged me and I thought they were worth passing on to you. The story is in Matthew 13:54-58. […]
God’s only motivation? God’s love.
If you grew up in the church, or have hung around it for any length of time, or even attended a football game for that matter, you’re familiar with John 3:16. This is the most famous verse in the Bible. “For God so loved…” It’s #1 on Bible Gateway’s most read verses. It’s been memorized […]