101 things to say before the offering (26)
Romans 10.17 says faith comes by hearing God’s Word. When you are in financial stress or feeling discouraged, you need to bolster your faith with scripture. Joshua 1.8 says “Study…
JESUS DIDN’T LIKE RULES, EXCEPT THE REALLY HARSH ONES
The number one misconception people have about Jesus is they think he wasn’t interested in rules. That’s true, but it’s not because rules are immoral. It’s because rules are ineffective….
DESIRE IS THE COMPASS OF VOCATION
Earlier this week my daughter came home from school in tears. She’s been conflicting with her third grade teacher and struggling in math. It’s not new. Anna has been unhappy…
WHY PING PONG, CONFERENCES, AND BOOKS WITHOUT PICTURES MAKE US HAPPY
I play ping pong every day for an hour with my friend Thane. I go to four conferences a year and read almost 300 books without any pictures. Why? Because…
BEATS: CONVERSATION, LEADERSHIP, AND ORATORY (OH YEAH, AND DRUMS, TOO)
The most prevalent means of coaching new fiction writers on dialogue is to talk about beats. When I first heard the term I was confused. I imagined “beats” referred to…
101 things to say before the offering (25)
The Bible often uses basic math to teach us about both money and spiritual wellbeing. 1. Addition. It’s the simplest form of math. You must be faithful to add…
“THE JEWEL ON THIN ICE” (ADAPTED FROM SOREN KIERKEGAARD)
Tim sat in his father’s hospital room. The old building overlooked the frozen lake in the middle of the barony, crowded with skaters surrounded by their admirers. Tim’s dad was…
101 Things to say before the offering (24)
In Jesus’ teachings, he both shared God’s plan for provision and gave stern warnings about greed. 1. Matthew 6.19 Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat…
REFLECTION: THE JEWEL ON THIN ICE
God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but some of our hearts are so empty that God’s rewards feel insignificant, unclear, and unsatisfying. Your life now is…
SCRAMBLED THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUALITY
Postmodern Spirituality is potpourri. However, I’m convinced that most people gravitate to one aspect at a time—more yogi, more Pentecostal, more Reformed—they’re just not going to stay that way for…
THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT
A shaman once gave a girl a bottle of magic ointment. Each time the girl put it on her face she transformed into the most beautiful woman in the world….
GODLINESS ISN’T A PEE-PEEING CONTEST
There’s a strange truth that we often reduce our definition of righteousness to the aspect of goodness we most naturally exhibit. For example, evangelicals often consider themselves good Christians…