Lament matters. Honesty before God is not optional for faithful people. If we skip straight to praise without going through the valley, the praise rings hollow. But when we pour out our grief, our anger, our confusion, even our rage, before God, we create the space for something new to grow.

Faith isn't the absence of doubt or pain; it is choosing to lean into relationship with God in the midst of it.

Those who hold to a Corporate Election theology contend that God has repeatedly elected people groups in history and not simply individuals who are thus made part of the group, and that this election was not relating to salvation but rather it is an election to a purpose.

For many people asking questions about predestination, they reach a point where they simply accept that it is a mystery. Even Luther reached this point saying we should simply, "adore these mysteries." But what if the mystery here is mostly misunderstanding? What if a significant part of the problem is that we keep looking at it like 21st century Christians without the context of when these passages were written and when the theologies we have accepted were created?

Based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:3-7 where he begins his teaching on the church’s true foundation. An exploration of our place in Christ now; how we got there and what it means. Ending with a guided prayer to experience more of being in Christ.

God is not distant or unmoved. His compassion is not occasional, it is constant.

Throughout history from Augustine onward, some classical theologians have argued that God is impassible (that he doesn't experience pain or pleasure because he is unchanging). But this misunderstands what is unchanging about God. It is precisely because God's love doesn't change that he enters into our suffering. A God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is a God who is always moved by compassion, not a God who is never moved at all.

The kingdom of God is like a weed! It will get into every nook and cranny, it will find every space, and it will grow. There is no stopping it! The kingdom of God is going to uproot the kingdoms of this world, overthrow corrupt systems and rulers, restore what has been broken, free the oppressed, and comfort the mourning. And it will be a refuge for all people.

The second half of Romans 7 has sometimes been portrayed as the normal Christian experience but was that Paul’s intention?

A summary of Paul’s description of the normal Christian life and some ideas for living it.

A retelling of the Sermon on the Mount for children and grownups alike based on the text of "TheBook of Belonging" by Mariko Clark Straton.

Fighting against empire will almost certainly lead to the death of your body but worse can happen, you can get caught up in vengeance and violence in a way that turns your life to trash and destroys your soul.

Jesus calls unlikely people to partner in his mission. His mission to bring good news. His mission to bring the restoration of all things. This is the way of the kingdom. Jesus calls the unlikely to lead the unworthy to something beautiful.