If you want to seriously upgrade your spiritual life this year, do this one habit: go to church. It's that simple. Going to church matters. The book of Acts shows that the early church met together regularly, being devoted to corporate worship (Acts 2:42-47). The book of Hebrews, which many Christians believe to be a…
Pastor as Teenager
Pastors are an angsty bunch, just like teenagers. I would know because I am one and I spend time with other pastors! Teenagers can often feel a deep anxiety about their lives. What am I doing with my life? Does anyone care? Etc. Etc. And, from what I've experienced myself and what I've observed in…
2022 in Books
Rediscover Church by Jonathan Leeman and Collin Hanson (January) How to Reach the West Again by Tim Keller (January) The Family Firm by Emily Oster (January) Spirit and Sacrament by Andrew Wilson (January) Becoming Whole by Brian Fikkert and Kelly Kapic (January) Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes Du Mez (January) Personal Kanban by…
What moves the Bible’s story forward?
The Bible is a big book, encompassing almost four thousand years of human history and containing various genres of literature from poetry to prophecy. Even though the Bible seemingly contains so many disparate parts, the church has historically discerned a general movement, or plot structure, to Scripture's story. In the recent history of the American…
Precedented Times
We need to get over ourselves in many different ways. One of the biggest afflictions facing the all the generations alive today is narcissism. We have genuinely come to believe that our tine and place is unique, different, and "unprecedented." We have faced a pandemic...unprecedented (but one just happened in 1918)! We have abundant wealth…
A Deep Life System
We all want to live "deeply," a life of meaning and significance. But how does that happen? It does not happen haphazardly. One of the benefits of modern life is that we can often be given the freedom to think deeply about our lives and can control much more of our lives than ever before.…
Clearing the Decks Doesn’t Work (Or Why the “Two Minute” Rule is a Trap)
A common productivity trope is the "two minute rule": if a task will take two minutes or less, do it right now. The two minute rule can feed into a mindset where we need "clear the decks" (get small things done and out of the way) so we can then focus on the more important…
Yes, God wants you to be happy
It's true that God wants you to be happy. The question really becomes, "Where do we find happiness?" And the answer to that question in the Scriptures is God Himself. King David writes about having a relationship with God, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.2 | Real Knowledge Comes from Knowing Our Flaws
When we examine ourselves in light of God's truth, we should be disabused of the idea that we ever be confident in our own abilities or desiring to brag about ourselves. Instead, we should be inclined to submit to God's will. We all should follow this path if we desire to attain the true goal…
Effortless by Greg McKeown
Maybe life doesn't have to be so hard. Author Greg McKeown experienced firsthand some of the difficulties of modern life, when he experienced his own case of burnout and exhaustion. He wondered, "What does one do when they've stripped life down to the essentials, and it's still too much?" (9). Unable to push himself further,…
Raising Lazarus 