What’s the point of the local church? Making better citizens? Feeding and clothing the poor? Performing miracles? Inspiring people to be better? Instilling fear or guilt or shame? So many people have so many ideas, and we find ourselves with many kinds of churches. As followers of Jesus, it seems we should be confident about … Continue reading "Lost & Found"

There’s a question you can ask yourself that will bring inescapable clarity to just about every relational decision you’ll bump up against.But a word of warning: it’s not for the faint of heart.

It’s human nature to snuggle up to the edge of irresponsibility or disaster and stay there as long as possible.But instead of wondering how close we can get before crossing the line,we need to ask ourselves perhaps the most important question we can ever ask.

Sometimes an option we’re considering creates tension inside of us.When that happens, it can be tempting to ignore the discomfort or brush by it.But instead of doing that, we need to pay close attention to it.

Your life is more than random, disconnected events.It’s a story being written.Whether it’s a thoughtful response or an emotionally fueled reaction,we write the stories of our lives one decision at a time.

The easiest person to deceive is the person in the mirror.But when we do the hard work of being honest with ourselves,we’re on our way to not selling ourselves on a potential regret.

We never know what or who hangs in the balance of the decisions we make.But we do know that our decisions determine the direction and quality of our life.

A few years ago, a group of us realized that most people in our community don’t really know that God is FOR them. We’re kicking off the New Year with a renewed commitment to make sure our neighbors know that God is FOR them, and not against them. God is for you, and he’s for … Continue reading "#FORyou"

We all wonder. When we fix our eyes somewhere other than on God, wonder leads to wander. If you’ve wandered from the faith or are looking for the door, it’s not because of Jesus. You may think Christianity requires mind-numbing, experience-denying faith, but what if that’s not true? December 18, 2022

We wonder because our frame of reference doesn’t provide us with all of the answers. Every version of religion works for children. But then life happens. We experience challenging circumstances that sow doubt in our childhood faith. Tragedy causes us to question if God is good and loving. Sin leads to guilt and shame. We … Continue reading "Welcome to Wonderland, part 2 – Show and Tell"