Taking the Cross
When Jesus says we must lose our lives if we are to find them, he is teaching, on the negative side, that we must not make ourselves and our “survival” the ultimate point of reference in our world—must not, in …
The Discipline of Irresponsibility Taught Me Something.
One area in my life where I am hearing new truth reflects my sense of personal responsibility in all walks of life. Being overly responsible has been an issue for me for years. I thought I had resolved the problem …
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The False Self and the True Self
Many years ago, I learned about the false self and the true self. I learned that everyone struggles with the tension between these two selves. The false self is the person we wish we were, the person we think we …
What Is Spiritual Formation?
God periodically moves upon his people and in their surrounding culture to achieve his everlasting purposes for that tiny stretch of cosmic time we call “human history.” This usually happens in ways that no one but he could have planned …
The Secret to Transforming Passing Moments into Precious Memories
At the end of every episode of our podcast, Rhythm of Us, we always close with the same question: “What advice would you give to the younger you?” It’s easily my very favorite part of the show. Given no time …
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Refusing to Let God off the Hook
Job suffered. His name is synonymous with suffering. He asked, “Why?” He asked, “Why me?” And he put his questions to God. He asked his questions persistently, passionately, and eloquently. He refused to take silence for an answer. He refused …
A Word That Is Weird, Compelling, and Contagious
I’ve been thinking about disciplemaking a lot lately. That’s probably not too surprising, seeing as how I’m writing this for a blog called “The DiscipleMaker.” Between here, my work on the various resources published by NavPress, and my involvement with …
Where Have All the Demons Gone?
I’m aware that talk of Satan, demons, fallen angels, and an apocalyptic battle between cosmic forces of light and darkness will sound ridiculous to some and like a plot from a second-rate Marvel comic to others. In the West, we …
Where Were You?
What you’re feeling, Mary and Martha felt that too. Their brother had died over the course of days. Jesus loved them, loved their brother. They had no doubt of it. They had seen him heal the blind. They knew he …
Three Priorities for Majority-Culture Christians to Create Beautiful, Multiethnic Ministry
When Dennis and Joy, who are white, decided to join an African American church, the first thing they discovered was that the worship was very different than what they were used to. It was loud, repetitive, and went on for …
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