June in Pennsylvania is such a glorious month. The weather is usually on the sunny side, and the skies are blue in June. At least this is the way I recall most Junes. A light-filled and beautiful season, after a darker, colder winter, and soggy springtime. And this past Sunday was one of those glorious, […]
That’s not a problem! I’ll tell you why below. I cannot even remember how many times I have had a conversation with someone about their past failures and sins and they say, “I can’t forgive myself.” I didn’t always know how to answer that. Now I do know SPECIFICALLY what to say. Before I tell […]
I will tell you a secret. I was not very good at it. In fact, I was quite bad. About journaling. I began journaling in 1999. I did it because I was taking a class for my doctoral studies on spiritual formation. One of our assignments was to journal our spiritual journey over a period […]
Here is a powerful thought from Michael Goheen.* I broke it into smaller paragraphs for easier reading. Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom of God. The kingdom can be characterized as the inbreaking of God’s dynamic power to defeat all that stands against his rule, and as the arrival of the comprehensive salvation of […]
My Monday morning devotional time had me in Ezekiel 36. Wow! What a chapter. I encourage you to read it TODAY. The Mountains of Israel is a poetic way of referring to the people of God who are embodied in the land of Israel. The people of God were to be the missional people […]
Mentors. Role models. Stories. Journeys. Biblical wisdom. A community of friends. The empowering presence of Jesus Christ. All of this is what men* need if they are to learn how to use the STRENGTH God has given to them in ways that are full of love and grace, with the purpose of helping their families […]
There are five or six blogs that I consistently read. There are another half dozen that I skim and peruse occasionally. One of the regulars is written by James Emery White, lead pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church, a megachurch in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here is a link to one of his recent posts: Sears and the Church. […]
A few weeks ago a friend commented, “I am sure you are looking forward to summer, with things slowing down for you!” He said that knowing how crazy full life was for me this spring. Well, I was and am looking forward to this summer, but things don’t slow down any more in the summer. […]
Over the past few months we have been talking a lot about flourishing, this idea that we were made to thrive, to experience and enjoy life in ever-increasing abundance and fruitfulness (John 10:10). We who were once dead in our sins – separated from the life of God – are made fully alive in […]
Today we have a special guest blogger, Pastor Aaron Kunce. I believe we are living in a culture where friendship is desperately undervalued. I’d even venture to say that this is true in the church as well. People often become peripheral. Our culture has become so individualistic, and although it is important to talk about […]