Gratitude and God’s Gift in our Pain
“I just wish I knew what God’s will for my life was.” Ever had that thought? Trying to figure out God’s will can be frustrating. It can seem mysterious, elusive, unknowable. Except when it’s not. Except when God makes it plain as day, and then you realize maybe not knowing wasn’t so bad. Like when Paul sa
Read moreWhat Does God Want From Us?
This was the question Martin Luther was asking 500 years ago. What works does God want us to do? How can we please him? Can we ever do enough? It was a question that nearly drove Luther mad. The question wasn’t new to Luther. A Jewish crowd once asked it of Jesus shortly after they had seen five barley loaves a
Read moreMartin Luther, the Reformation, and the False Gospel of Self-Fulfillment
Are you a theologian of the cross or a theologian of glory? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Probably not. But it’s a great question to ask (really, I promise) as we approach the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, kicked off when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenb
Read moreMy Baptism Story
I remember it clearly, I was 12 starting 8th grade at a new school in a new town and my life was ridiculously messy. It was just me and a single parent. The rest of my family was scattered and had already stopped going to church, so I started walking to a church. I’d wanted to be baptized since I was 7. I was tol
Read moreMaking A Prayer Play List
Since January 1, 2017, we, as a church, have been having thirty-one consecutive evenings of prayer. We are now two weeks into our thirty-one days. For those of you who have not been able to attend, we spend an hour together waiting with God from 7:00-8:00 p.m. each evening. We have been playing a list of songs each
Read moreHow Do People Change? – Seminar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vROcUE8Usgg&feature=youtu.be You’ve probably heard it said that the gospel transforms lives. But how? What does it look like for the gospel to transform us? And does the gospel really reach down into the big struggles we face—like depression, or paralyzing fear and anxiety, or sex
Read moreEarly Comments on 31 Days of Prayer
In the running community to which I belong there is a certain frame of thinking that runners use to categorize themselves. There are the A runners (who run fast and long), the B runners (who run steady and reasonable), and the C runners (who enjoy the experience of just being out there regardless of the pace). Many
Read moreSix Things You Can Anticipate During 31 Days of Prayer
Most of us are not accustomed to praying for any length of time. At best we are sporadic and distracted. At worst we feel like we are failures when it comes to praying. We are about as good as non-believers in prayer in that we can throw up a few ‘Hail Mary’ type prayers and hope God catches it in the end zone. B
Read more3 Reasons I Am Excited about 31 Days of Prayer
Three Reasons I’m excited about 31 Days of Prayer I need a fresh word. I have been running in the same direction for a very long time – same job, same city, same house, same Odyssey mini van, same routine. I’m not complaining. I love my life. It’s secure and comfortable and I am reasonably happy, but
Read moreThe Dragon of Despair, Part 1
“Remember that overwhelmingly sad feeling when you learned that someone you loved died? Remember the guilt and embarrassment you felt after your biggest failure was exposed? Remember facing the biggest problem in your life and thinking that it was impossible to fix? Remember that time, as a little kid, when someo
Read more