Re:solution :: Pro-Motion

This is the season of self-improvement. We challenge ourselves to get slimmer, stronger, and smarter. But if you want to become a better person, focus less on yourself and more on doing something to make the world a better place. The challenge is that making the world a better place requires giving up some part of our lives—time, money, or opportunities. It will cost you some life. We don’t want to give up some life. We want to preserve our lives. But Jesus said that the only way to live a life of purpose and meaning is to give our lives away. January 22, 2017

Re:solution :: Something To Show For It

This is the time of year when we become painfully aware of where we are not, who we are not, and what we need to do differently. Traditionally, it’s a season of self-absorption. We wonder how to get slimmer, stronger, and smarter. We wonder how to get out of debt. We wonder how to become better people. If you really want to become a better person, do something this year to make the world a better place. But how do you determine what you should do? January 15, 2017

Re:solution :: The Better Question

This is that time of year when we become painfully aware of where we are not, who we are not, and what we need to do differently. Traditionally, the new year is a season of self-absorption. It’s all about what we can do to make ourselves better people. The result is that churches, health clubs, debt counselors, and vitamin shops do a booming business.

But we tend to forget that the people we respect the most didn’t devote their lives to becoming the best version of themselves. They devoted their lives to making a difference in the world . . . or in someone’s world. January 8, 2017

Light of The World

Bible stories are often told like fairy tales; they become larger than life. But the author of the Christmas story included a footnote that firmly plants the story of Jesus’ birth in an historical context. Luke wanted us to know that what “came to pass” was not a fairy tale, but rather the greatest story ever told. December 18, 2016

Killin It :: Known Survivor

We all want to be friended, followed, linked, and mentioned. We all want to be recognized, admired, sought after, and envied. We hunger for approval. We want applause. We want to be known. But what do you do when there is no amount of “known” that will satisfy your appetite? December 11, 2016

Anything But Average :: Now and Later

One of the things that can keep us from living beyond average is the tension between now and later. We’re tempted to live for the moment, to satisfy our desires instantly. But when we pursue instant gratification, the problems in our lives increase. Our finances blow up because we buy things before we can afford them. Our relationships are damaged because we don’t put in the time to build solid foundations of trust and respect. Our careers suffer because we climb faster than our competence can sustain.

Jesus wants anything but average for you. But to be anything but average, you have to learn to stop living for now and begin living for later.

October 30, 2016

In The Meantime :: Yes, You Can

What do you do when there’s nothing you can do? Relationally, financially, professionally, physically, or academically, It just is what it is. There’s nothing you can do to change your situation. Challenging circumstances can make you jealous or resentful. They can make you angry with God. They can breed discontentment. But the problem with discontentment is that it can drive you in self-destructive directions that will eventually leave you with regret. So, what is the secret of finding contentment even when times are tough? August 28, 2016

In The Meantime :: A Purpose and A Promise

Every once in a while, we run into people stuck in unchangeable, unalterable, in-the-meantime circumstances who get to the place where they’re able and willing to receive their circumstances, their afflictions, their illnesses, their losses, and their disabilities as coming from the hand of their heavenly Father. How do these people maintain extraordinary faith despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances? Where do they find the peace that characterizes their lives? August 21, 2016

In The Meantime :: The New Normal

What do we do when our circumstances are so challenging there’s no way forward and no way out? We have problems for which there seem to be no solutions. We have questions without answers. During times like these, we’re tempted to run or give up. We’re tempted to give in to jealousy, resentment, and anger . . . especially anger toward God. That’s because when life gets hard, it feels like God is absent, apathetic, or angry. But what if he isn’t? Is it possible to hang on to joy, hope, and patience in the meantime? August 14, 2016

Accessible

We all want autonomy. We all want to be in charge of our own destinies. It’s good to be king. That desire is natural, but it’s also problematic because it can cause us to drift toward isolation. We need the forced, sometimes uncomfortable, structured relationships that groups provide. You need community and somebody in community needs you. August 7, 2016