The folks above are my friends and the people I’m blessed to pastor in this season. This week I finished writing our church plant’s core values and I thought you’d find some of our priorities thought-provoking, challenging, or encouraging: To all who are weary and need rest,To all who mourn and long for comfort,To all who feel worthless and wonder … Read More
Human Life is Sacred and Full of Wonder
“Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5, NLT It’s no secret that I work for a pro-life organization– one that, albeit, is on the care side of the issue rather than … Read More
How to Maximize Your Joy in the New Year
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that … Read More
Christmas Truth
Hi friends, I wrote the following poem 20 years ago the day after Christmas. It’s called “Christmas Truth” and I’ve packaged it here between two great verses of Scripture. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6, ESV Wise men left their homes … Read More
Pursue God’s Perfect Heart, Not Moral Flawlessness
There are certain brands of fundamentalism that encourage men and women to be morally flawless based on a literal and surface reading of Matt. 5:48: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (ESV) As I said last week, I think verses like this—especially in red letters—are one of the reasons passages like Eccl.7:16 are not taken … Read More
Why Does the Bible Say Not to Be Overly Righteous?
Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of … Read More
A Guide for Pastors on Making the Most of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday
Hi friends, this week I thought I’d share a version of an article I just wrote for Care Net. Not only might some of you find it interesting to see how I talk about the life issue, but some of you may also find some of the linked resources valuable for your own purposes. Blessings and the beautiful pic is … Read More
Irreplaceable: Recovering God’s Heart for Dads is finally available!
Well, Friends, It has been a long-time coming but my book Irreplaceable: Recovering God’s Heart for Dads is finally finished and available for purchase on Amazon! In many ways, this represents the center of my life’s work to date. Not only do I hope this book blesses you and yours, but I would be so grateful for your help in getting … Read More
The Colorful Beauty of Our Time-Traveling God
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to … Read More
Pursuing Knowledge: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This post was originally published on October 6, 2017. I’m reposting it again in honor of my friends at Mantua Creek Church and the study we’ve begun on the book of Ecclesiastes. There’s nothing new on this earth. Year after year it’s the same old thing…. Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know the more you hurt. … Read More