As I prepared for my message (54:20) this past week, I gave a lot of thought to the role of emotions in the Christian’s life. How much do we rely on them? What weight should we give them in assessing our spiritual health? Is the presence of deep emotion the sign of deep spirituality or…
Category: PSI (Personal Spiritual Insight)
Meditation for Today: Grace
I have found that the idea of grace is a wonderful concept to think about but a whole ‘nother thing to live! In my own life, I find that I don’t like to give myself grace. Let me rephrase that: I want to give myself grace—I just usually don’t. I am often my own…
Some Quick Thoughts on Fear
Fear is one of the most crippling things in life. It causes us to fall back in the face of opposition or danger. It prevents us from taking advantage of great opportunities that could alter our lives for the good. It leads us to play it safe when anything worth having involves some level of…
Shelved Blessings
How happy are you right now? Seriously, are you over-the-moon kind of crazy-happy in your life? Blessed? Certainly, better than you deserve, but do you experience real blessing in your life such that you are overwhelmed at how good life is…how good God has been to you? Sometimes, the blessings of life seem to hide…
Prone to Wander, Lord I Feel it
“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores. Jeremiah 5:7 I am no one to throw stones or cast desparaging opinions on this people. I, too, am…
God’s Gift of People
I was studying in 2 Timothy 4 this morning where in verse 9, Paul tells Timothy to “do your best to come to me soon.” Clearly, as Paul goes on in that passage, some things have not gone well. He has been abandoned by everyone, even having one guy, Alexander the Coppersmith, doing him “great…
The Equipping Work of God
Our folks at The Gathering have heard me say quite often, “What God calls you to, He equips you for.” I thoroughly believe that. Ephesians 2: 10 affirms that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So, He’s definitely called us. …
Reflecting on a Purpose-filled Life
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life…
When It’s Good to be in a Gang
Paul tells Timothy that if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, “he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20-21) This is a concept I’ve been dealing with a lot lately in messages at The Gathering,…
Season After Season
I’m sitting on my back porch looking out at the incredible colors of Fall all around me, taking in the fresh air and reflecting on just how good God really is in spite of what a punk I really am. Humbling. As the breeze blows through, I am thinking about how just one short month…
Chasing the Wind
“…they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless.” (Jeremiah 2:5) What we pursue matters. It’s what we become.
Holy Rebellion: Making the Determination to Stand
I refuse to be defeated. That statement sounds a bit absurd, if you think about it. I mean, if I’m standing in a boxing ring in front of a 230lb well-tuned fighting machine, I’m not sure that my attitude matters very much. I don’t think he cares what I refuse to do. He’s going to…
When Life Gets Tough
Life is tough. Everybody knows that. There is no way for us to get away from the troubles and difficulties that we all have to face. Sometimes, it’s little more than the inconveniences of traffic, dealing with an overbearing boss, or misplacing a wallet. Other times, it’s infinitely worse. Those are events in life that…
Reboot Required
Every so often the computer gets backed up and the “pinwheel of death” on my Mac gets to spinning. That’s when I know that it’s time to restart my computer. Too many operations are going that have clogged up the system so that nothing that I’m trying to accomplish is working. A reboot is required….
[Flashback] Dead Man Walking: A Little Story of Sin and Redemption at the Price House
Reading through some old posts from my former blog, Espresso Roast, I came across this story from February 22, 2006 of a tough lesson learned by my then 5 year-old son, Jacob…a lesson we all need to learn. Yesterday my wife discovered a nice, big circle on our dining room table. Actually it was more…
Quiet the Chaos
Do you ever get to that place where you get so busy and so stressed that all you want to do is climb in a corner and hibernate? Or cry? Or drink five Monsters and end it all right there? You feel like you’re at the end of the thread that’s hanging off the end…
don’t know if you can zoom in and read this, but if you can, you should. Good stuff from “The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions” (Taken with Instagram)
Mission…Impossible?
How often do we limit ourselves based on what think we can and cannot do? “I can’t” is the rally cry of the weak. Yet, Scripture says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13, emphasis added) and that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.” (Romans 8:37). So,…
The Death of Sin
I read this morning about killing sin. Killing. Sin. Hm. Seems only fair since sin is in the business of killing us. Promising the world and delivering the grave. I had to question whether or not that is really possible. As a pastor and follower of Christ, I know that He has overcome sin, but…
Where Is Your Faith?
Last night, during Worship Out Loud at The Gathering, I spoke on Luke 8:22-25. Here are the thoughts on that passage that led to that talk. Jesus gave His disciples a command: “Get into the boat and let’s go to the other side of the lake.” They obeyed. First step of a good disciple…when you’re…
When “Judging” Isn’t Judging: Thoughts on Matthew 7
1 Judge not, that you be not judged.2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4 Or…