Moving From Contemplating the Biblical Navel to Real Application

I am guilty of writing a bunch of thoughts, opinions, and various and sundry other ways of contemplating the biblical navel and end the discussion gaining little more than having thought about something a little more or with a slight nuance. How many of you feel your life has never been the same since reading [...]

Doing Church vs. Being Church

People talk about “going to church” or what happened “at church today.” Those are all kind of misnomers. The problem is we begin to identify Christianity as the sum total of what happens in an auditorium two hours a week rather than as an identity issue of the individuals and the community of those who [...]

MercyMe - So Long Self Video

I have heard this MercyMe song on the radio over and over again but never really listened to the words. They are powerful. The video helps capture the message of the song - Once we meet the one who is really worthy and who it is all really about, Jesus Christ, we have to put [...]

Understanding God’s Will for Your Life

In Reggie McNeal’s book A Work of Heart he makes this statement about being called,
The call is a mystery. It begins and ends with God, but it loops through a very human individual. It is personal, yet bigger than the person. The call comes out of who we are as well as shaping who we [...]

F.R.O.G. - Fully Rely on God (Acts 9)

In Acts 9 we find the Commission/Conversion of Saul of Tarsus. On his way to Damascus, the light flashes, the voice booms, and Saul falls to the ground. He asks, “Who are you, Lord?” Jesus answers, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…now get up and go into the city and you will be told [...]

Looking Back on September 11, 2001

For those of us who are less than 70 years old New York City on September 11, 2001 is our Pearl Harbor, Hawaii December 7, 1941. It is a moment in time that shaped our thinking, rent our hearts, and reminded us all of what was really important.
I was a graduate student at the University [...]

Homeostasis - The Challenge of Spiritual Maturity

Homeostasis - a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group - Webster’s Dictionary
 
We tend to gravitate toward the things we are most comfortable with. We are most comfortable with the things we have done [...]

Nominal Christianity

In a previous post, I mentioned 10 ways to be a nominal Christian. There are some who believe that because Jesus is the way, truth and life, and the only way to the Father that they must wear the name “Christian.” Christianity is more like a name tag rather than a lifestyle. Keep it on [...]

Confessing Our Sins and Perceived Weakness

In most churches the majority of the prayer requests are about physical health. One reason for this is because physical problems are more obvious and painful. Why is it that most church goers don’t make very many confessional or spiritually focused prayer requests? One reason is probably because sin is not visibly obvious and doesn’t [...]

Relationships Require Shared Experience

I was talking about friendships with our youth minister yesterday. He commented that when he moved to a new town in high school he tried to stay connected to his old friends through IM but after a few months he decided that he did not want to spend time on relationships that could not move [...]