Imagine a man who lives in a kingdom. He spends his whole life gathering string and winding it into a giant ball. At the end of his life, it is abundantly clear to him that he has created the largest, most impressive ball ever! It’s so impressive that the king himself comes down to see
The Kingdom’s Largest Ball of String Read More »
I like to play a little game with people called, “Watch this!” This may sound evil for a pastor like myself to do, but maybe I just have an odd sense of humor? In any case, it’s fun because all parties usually end up laughing at the outcome. I help ensure this by only targeting
This Little Game I Play Read More »
If you were to interview those who have been deemed the “greatest” in their respective sport, each of them would concede that perfection is impossible (except for maybe a bowler). They’d likely go on to tout incredible discipline, evidenced by long, tedious hours of practice, often over years, sometimes even decades. Still, perfection for them
Practice Makes Perfect Read More »
We might drive our car twenty miles per day all week without a refill. However, if we drive five hundred miles, we’ll likely run out of gas. There are two fundamental considerations to filling our gas tanks. First, we must actually take the time to fill it (dah!). Second, a full tank of gas will
Refilling Our Gas Tanks Read More »
I’ve been thinking about these school shootings I hear about on the news… Jesus Christ is the divine originator of life. Chew on that for a moment. Consider why those without Him are wretches, even preferring murderers over the “Prince of life.” But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to
What Murderers Don’t Understand Read More »
Being present. Why is that so difficult? Is anyone actually “there” anymore when they are conversing with another? Go to the local fast food restaurant and watch how people, families even, treat each other. Their actions say, “You’re not worth my full attention, so I’ll offer you an occasional acknowledgement, either verbally or visually, so
Practicing Being Present Read More »
River stone, sea glass, clouds in the sky… These are just a few things that come to mind when I think about one of my all-time favorite words, elegance. I won’t go so far as reserving its use for only transcendent observations, but it certainly holds a rarified place in my vernacular. If you’ll just
“If you find the perfect church, then don’t join it, because you’ll be the one to mess it up!” — Phil Johnson, Theologian Mr. Johnson’s point here is that there’s no such thing as a “perfect church”. I couldn’t agree more. I’d argue that some people make this an excuse, claiming they just can’t seem to
How to Join the Perfect Church Read More »
What’s more impressive: a person who never fails or the one who fails constantly but keeps getting back up? My vote is for the second person. For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again. — Proverbs 24:16a And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need
The Value of Failure Read More »
Have you ever been face to face with someone who is completely ravaged by guilt and shame? I have, a myriad of times. These individuals were, by all accounts, broken. Now, this may sound strange, but at the time, I was truly happy for them. Allow me to explain. God is merciful. Any time we
The Advantageous Estate of Brokenness Read More »