How does one know whether their core identity is centered in the truth of the gospel or something else? The key is where a person gets their sense of worth. How do they feel when achieve certain accomplishments? It is …
Pastors often live fragmented and cluttered lives. Everyone has an agenda for them—so many needs, so many opportunities, so many meetings, so many telephone calls, so many demands pulling them in so many different ways. Paul was familiar with the …
I cannot think of a greater need in this day when we seem to live on the edge of chronic anxiety, overwhelmed by the magnitude of our busyness. We never stop—running, working, doing, learning, achieving, moving, climbing, pushing, thinking, planning—and …
“If I am honest, I’ll admit that I don’t really know how to make disciples.” I remember when those words came out of my mouth. I had been in the pastorate for almost a decade, and despite sermons, programs, Bible …
What do spices, Solomon’s temple, and Seattle have to do with making disciples in every nation? Maps of the ancient Near East usually include caravan trading routes, and show how they intersected on the coastal plains of the eastern Mediterranean—the …
Recently, when my son and his family put their house up for sale, their realtor hired a staging company to make it more marketable. After cleaning, some paint touch ups and minimal organizing, the family cleared out for a day, …
Why should I practice hospitality in spiritual friendship? To me, hospitality is a natural thing you do in friendship. You open your home to your friend whenever she needs to come to you—and she would do the same for you. …
Something in each of us is drawn to the transcendent, to experiences that transport us, even for a moment, from the ordinariness of life. We find ourselves strangely affected at random times—a waterfall takes our breath away or majestic worship …
The amazing thing about service is that it rarely returns void, even if we don’t see the end results ourselves. Service has a way of inspiring others to see the areas of need around them and step out of their …
I am richly blessed in the community department. Not everyone is so lucky. Like others who are in the throes of crisis, autism parents often seek comfort from friends, but all too often, they get inspirational platitudes instead. Those platitudes …