Merry Christmas!

Discipleship, Leadership

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus in human flesh. As an infant, he was at his most defenseless. Jesus entered an insecure situation, where his parents were poor and traveling in an unfamiliar land. He entered a fallen world—one where a powerful king was...

Divine appointment or distraction?

Leadership, Prioritizing

Even Jesus got interrupted sometimes. He was on his way to Jerusalem when a crowd slowed him down and a woman touched the hem of his robe. At that point, he had a decision to make. Would he press on to Jerusalem? Or was this a divine appointment? In that case, Jesus...

On-the-way-discipleship: Deuteronomy 6

Missional

  Yesterday’s blog entry– about doing discipleship in the course of daily life rather than as a set-aside meeting– made me think of Deuteronomy 6:6-9.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat...

And a great light came into the world

Uncategorized

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.   Then the angel said to...

What would Jesus tip?

Missional

Okay, I saw this article recently and I thought, “Here’s some good preaching material!”  Take a couple of minutes to read it, then think about it: What kind of testimony are we leaving in our wake?  If all people see of Jesus is what they see in his followers, what...

Broadening our perspective

Missional

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord — and he will repay you!” — Proverbs 19:17 NLT There is a blessing that comes to us when we serve and help the poor. It may not– and likely is not– a financial blessing, but rather a blessing...

The gospel changes everything

Leadership

For many years in recent history the church has focused on spiritual transformation. Rightly so—for this is what the Holy Spirit brings to us. Yet a piece seemed to be missing. Where was the relationship? The community? The love? Then the church began placing more...

Where’s the love?

Missional

We’ve moved from a cognitive/rational approach to an experiential approach. The people we’re trying to reach have changed. It used to be a matter of mastering Evidence that Demands a Verdict. But now we’re in a different paradigm. You’re not...