Cucumbers and Capital Punishment 2/17/2021 - “Name something you’ve changed your mind about over the years.” We begin each of our small group meetings with an icebreaker. This was one of my favorites last year. I can’t recall if my answer was cucumbers or capital punishment, but this question really stumped me. Why? Probably because it requires humility. To change one’s mind is, in a way, to admit wrong. I used to think this way, but now I think this other way. I used to believe this; now I believe that. It’s not always a fun declaration, and it’s certainly not easy when you’re discussing a weighty topic. Read more
Joy! 2/10/2021 - The TV is on. I’m mostly ignoring the Super Bowl and peeking over my screen at a commercial periodically. A beer commercial comes on. I’m half-listening. And I look up to see the joy-filled faces of well-known athletes. I’m paying more attention now. And then I hear it. “What if we were wrong this whole time? Wrong in thinking that joy happens only at the end - after the sacrifice, after the commitment, after the win,” the narrator said. “What if joy is the whole game, not just the end game?” Read more
New Intentions 2/3/2021 - With a full month into 2021 it is estimated that 80% of Americans have already abandoned their New Year Resolutions. Lose weight. Save money. Travel more. Work less. Learn a new hobby. Read the entire Bible. I’ve had each one of these resolutions at one or more seasons of my life. Some of them I achieved. 100% of them I did not stick with 365 days in a row, but would just restart on the next Monday! Read more
We Are the Light of the World 1/27/2021 - “We have all lost our minds!” I can’t remember a time when I’ve heard that statement more than I have in the past year. Praise God, the Christian church SHOULD think that way. Not in a judgmental way, but rather in a way that identifies that we, the church, exist to be a counterculture to the existing culture. The world has always maintained a plausibility structure... Read more
Remember WHOSE You Are 1/20/2021 - As I write this, my oldest is driving back to Purdue. He has been home quite a bit more due to the pandemic. We enjoyed the gift of the extra time we got to spend together as a family. Whenever he leaves to go back I often hear some of the same questions. “Do you miss him? Do you worry about him?” The answer in a nutshell is, yes. Really the answer is more complicated, though... Read more