Following Jesus is not a solo pursuit. We need each other—whether we realize it or not. God has purposed to use other people to accomplish our sanctification. One of the clearest statements about this is found in Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV) - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, … [Read more...]
Beyond Prozac
Depression is a growing concern. It plagues young people as adults. And Christians are certainly not immune. For most people, depression can be traced to some difficult circumstances. But some suffer chronically and with no discernible cause (aka clinical depression). Every part of us has been affected by the presence of sin in the world. And many … [Read more...]
The Inescapable Sibling Relationship
Several years ago we were on vacation, and one of our kids was upset with a decision that we had made. In the heat of moment, they blurted out, “I wish I wasn’t part of this family!” It was not one of our finer moments. Without any prompting they apologized and as a family we have chuckled about that episode over the years. That is the funny thing … [Read more...]
Radical Ordinary Hospitality
The church clearly has an image problem. For a variety of reasons, many in the culture view the church with a great deal of skepticism—if not outright disdain. In her book, The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield captures it per- fectly when she writes, “Let’s face it; we have become unwelcome guests in this post-Christian world. Our … [Read more...]
Confession and Healing
The Lenten season is a time to contemplate our sin in light of the cross. Unfortunately, confession of sin is an increasingly rare occurrence in the church. It seems that we are more concerned about the sins of society than we are the sins of the church. We rightly lament political corruption, the redefining of marriage, the wanton violence of … [Read more...]