Image sources: DesiringGod.org, Bonnellart.com. Artist: Daniel Bonnell I was reading my Bible plan on youversion the other day when it led me to the baptism of Christ. I’d never thought much of the event before, but this time it stood out. Why did Jesus submit to baptism? There are two parts to this answer we…
Category: worship
From Sacred Space to Public Grace
I was at a Christmas party with my kids this past holiday season and I was conflicted. The music was hot, the kids were eating well, and everyone was merry. Problem was, I wasn’t enjoying myself. I was trying to figure out why. I mean, I like rap, I like R&B, I like Bruno mars…
What’s behind the door?
Imagine that you were standing in front of a door that had everything you have ever desired or wanted behind it. If you were told you could have everything behind the door, would you be able to open it? This is one of the illustrations James K.A. Smith uses when he tries to convince us…
Book Review: Battling Unbelief by John Piper
The premise of this book is that we are tempted to unbelief when we fail to live by faith in the future grace of God. It is the promise of God, in every situation, that inspires the believer to live in radical obedience because we trust in Him. Our trust in His promises sustain us…
Henri Nouwen on the true meaning of obedience…
To be obedient means to be constantly attentive to this active presence and to allow God, who is only love, to be the source as well as the goal of all we think, say, and do. Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction (2006)
Don’t Take Offense at Jesus’ Call
This is one of a series of Lenten devotionals I wrote for our church’s Foreign Missions Ministry and appears on their blog. However, I wanted to share it with you all… Today’s Scripture Focus: Acts 16:1-3 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer…
Count Not Just the Cost, But Also The Worth
We have been writing Lenten devotionals in our church’s Foreign Missions Ministry. This post was originally written to be published on our minstry’s blog, but it was not required. I think that I’d like to share it with you all on my personal blog, so here goes… Today’s Scripture Focus: Luke 14:28-33 “Suppose one of you…
In Christ, We are God’s Righteousness #NPBCSetApart
I was reviewing some memory verses and after a brief review of 2 Corinthians 5:17 in context, I came to the following passage at the end: We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had…
Bring Him What You Have
[I originally posted these thoughts on my running blog. I’m sharing them here a couple weeks later.] Yesterday I was reading in Matthew and came to the Scripture in which Jesus is walking on water out to the disciples near Genessaret. But just before that, he had been teaching all day and felt compassion on…
Join me in supporting @WorldRelief at the 2012 #BaltimoreMarathon. #standwiththevulnerable
As some of you may know, I am in training for the Baltimore Marathon this year, October 13, 2012. This has been an exciting year, and the marathon will be run one week before we celebrate my son’s first birthday. This is my first 26.2, and I’ll be wearing a WorldRelief jersey and standing with…