Coffee with Creamer

Barry starts a series looking at the temptations that can lead to compromise in the church. Competing values, expectations, and fears sing the siren’s song. Many times our own forgetfulness or our desire to reshape God’s religion can be our biggest challenges. Once we see these temptations for what they are, we must look to […]

Barry covers a psalm that teaches us there is a deliverer coming on our behalf, someone who brings both authority and rescue beyond what we can accomplish (or attempt to control) on our own. For those who do not live in a perfect world, we are invited to rest in the hope that deliverance and […]

Sometimes we Christians think that faith shows best when no doubts are visible; however, Barry argues that doubt’s contrast can make faith shine. He walks us through 4 barriers or objections to the faith and warns us of using circular arguments, making secondary issues essential, erecting fences to help God out with his job description, […]

Barry finishes up the series on Finding and Losing Our Way—how you can walk out into the world and carry your learning home without it redesigning you. This time he focuses on experience (science and empiricism) and the gentle lull through its pragmatism which may impact our foundational truths rather than the other way ‘round. […]

In our second of the new series, From the Producer’s Desk, Barry ponders what it means to step out into the world of ideas and disciplines that weren’t formed explicitly from Scripture—and still remain grounded. Depending on how we address that, we either open ourselves up to learning that deepens our understanding… or we quietly […]

In moments where things seem to be falling apart and our faith is challenged, we could learn a thing or two from the believers in Acts 4. Barry examines how their prayer uses beginning, ending, height, depth, birth, and death to demonstrate who is not in charge, and who is. Scripture: Acts 4    

We begin a new series, From the Producer’s Desk, and Barry discusses why religion persists. While the expectation seemed to be that as we became more “enlightened,” religion would slowly disappear, that clearly hasn’t happened. In fact, even when societies or groups reject formal belief, they don’t stop doing the things religion does. Where does […]

Barry closes this series about extremism covering a variety of current events/topics like ICE, trans rights, DEI, free speech, and censorship. While a discussion of that list may seem the worst idea ever, a focus on these concepts can help us survive it: community, plurality, humanity, and agency.     Scriptures: Prov 11:14, 15:22, 24:6 […]

Barry begins a new series that will help us ferret out various methods of lulling people into extremist beliefs and what often follows—extremist actions. If you are looking to hone your extremist influence, you’ll want to use dehumanizing speech and fearmongering. If not, you may want to use a mirror near you to start a […]

Barry walks us through Psalm 109, pointing out a message that applies to its author, the Messiah and you and me. We may not be as significant as the other things God is doing, but we are to him.     Scriptures: Ps 109, 69 Acts 1:15-20 Lk 22:47-53 Matt 26:51-53 Books: A Grief Observed, […]