We all live within a story. It’s either within God’s sweeping story of redemption where our identity is in Christ, or it’s in our own little world where we are ruler and our identity is comprised of lies and half-truths we hear from the culture, others, and ourselves. The goal of this study is to... Continue Reading →
Some Comforting Coronavirus Playlists
Feeling frustrated, scared, and unsure of life? Here's some playlists that bring comfort, exalt Christ, call for love, faith, and courage, and remind us that we are not God but merely human. The Socially-Distanced-but-Spiritually-Close-Community Playlist Some friends and I put this together with the goal of exposing others to some new music while keeping some... Continue Reading →
The Puzzle Pieces of Identity: Loves, Habits, and Worship
You are what you love, you love what you desire, your desire shapes your habits, your habits shape your worship, your worship shapes your identity, you are what you love... Got all that? Let's break it down backwards just to be clear! First, you are what you love because what we love shapes our identity... Continue Reading →
“Care Group Boot Camp” ABF Summary and Audio
Week 1 (no audio): Priority: Because we believe in the value of community, we agree to give priority to our group meetings. If we are running late, we will call ahead. Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 18:19-20, Psalm 133 Week 2: Confidentiality: We agree that whatever is shared here stays here unless permission is asked. This includes what is... Continue Reading →
Look Back to Move Forward
Where did you learn that? It’s a question we may ask our kids, but we’d be better off asking ourselves first! We often go through life on autopilot, acting and reacting in our set ways. I’m not talking about committing “big sins”, but the little ways and habits that show up as we interact with... Continue Reading →
Desiring Resurrection Life
Easter is a day where the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is front and center in our prayers, songs, and preaching. This can give a false impression that during the rest of the year we should be emphasizing something else because this is only worth emphasizing once a year. That couldn’t be further from the truth!... Continue Reading →
A New Beginning
On the third day the friends of Christ coming at day-break to the place found the grave empty and the stone rolled away. In varying ways they realized the new wonder; but even they hardly realized that the world had died in the night. What they were looking at was the first day of a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth; and in a semblance of the gardener God walked again in the garden, in the cool not of the evening but the dawn.
Authentic Corporate Worship Always Points to New Creation
I have the privilege of leading in corporate worship almost every week, and I know how easy it is to forget what we're there for and what we're supposed to be pointing to. We can get lost in the shuffle of arrangements, keys, transitions, and intros that we forget that these are all means to... Continue Reading →