Attempting to reveal God’s love to this broken and busy world has never been easy. I have two pastor friends, Greg and Alex, who created a fun and crafty way of illustrating the history of God’s relationship with people. The smiley face with the halo represents God. Our story originates with God because He encompasses what life is all about. … Read More
As humans, we tend to believe that we are stronger than we really are. We tend to lean on our own understanding and depend on our own strength. We are usually slow to acknowledge God, so it’s not surprising when we get confused and question those things we don’t understand. The heart of the matter is that we resist trusting … Read More
In my last post, I shared how, when my daughter, Marissa, was a toddler, we bought her a goldfish. She quickly became frustrated by her inability to have a meaningful relationship with her new pet. In an attempt to connect with and love her fish, Marissa began petting her fish. Well, she TRIED to pet her fish. The fish wasn’t … Read More
I have a confession to make: I am messed up. Hang on a second though. Don’t judge me because you’re messed up too. We’ve all sinned and none of us are what we should be. In a sense, though, that’s not the problem. Yes, it is a problem. But it’s a problem that can be solved. The Problem Is Me … Read More
Sometimes people say things like, “I like Jesus, but I don’t like the God of the Old Testament. Why are they so different?” The answer is, they aren’t. They are exactly the same. That may seem crazy, but let me tell you a story…about a pet fish. Darth Fishy and Mackenzie When they were younger, my kids wanted a pet. … Read More
What is it that you’re truly longing for in life? Beyond the promotion or the vacation, the new house or the new car. What is underneath all the things you think you need? What are you genuinely longing for in your life? Most of us have experienced the loss of something we consider precious to us, whether it’s a relationship, … Read More
Have you ever needed God to rescue you from a difficult or painful situation? It’s hard to trust God when things keep going wrong in life, especially when you feel beat down and powerless to change your circumstances. Whether it’s your health, relationships, finances or some other situation, God wants you to have faith in his promises when things seem … Read More
A few years ago I was walking through an art museum, turned a corner, and had my breath taken away. It wasn’t a statue, a painting or an exhibit. It was the sign hanging over an exhibition. The sign read: “Touch Me, I’m Sick.” It hung above the entrance to a traveling display that featured photographs from Charles Peterson. Peterson … Read More
You can learn a lot from a name, and that’s especially true of God. Throughout the Bible, God presents himself with different names. Each name reveals something important about God. One of the names of God is Jehovah-Rapha, “the Lord who heals.” Names are funny. We label people by their names. Our name somehow defines us even though most of … Read More
In the small groups that I lead, I sometimes do a night of “Boundary Breaker” questions. Some of the questions are light, such as, “What’s your favorite TV show?” Others are not. A question we always ask is, “When is a day you died a little?” This question usually goes deep since we all can recall a time we suffered … Read More
