BLOG

It is always the transformation of the smallest part that leads to the transformation of the whole. 
We groan and cry out in this painful life experience together. 
The cold, hard fact is that there are prayers that God does not answer.
Who can stand before this cosmically-sized love without being completely transformed?
Either way, you will ultimately face then refiner’s fire.
The problem is that Hell is never once mentioned in the Bible.
When you are confronted with the reality of an undeserved kindness, it can be transformative.
The word wrath isn’t an unloading of God’s fury and rage on the unrepentant.
The judgment of God is simply giving a person what they have freely chosen.
We have only ever been alienated from God in our minds.
I was told that I needed to be saved from my sins so that I wouldn’t go to Hell when I die.
There are many people who struggle to understand a God who unconditionally and preemptively forgives everyone.
Father we repent and ask for forgiveness, for we know that Jesus did not spend his time isolating and targeting special “sin groups” or trying to defend his positions through arguing and debating.
Our awe of the cosmic Christ has been replaced by a very casual “Jesus is my bro” attitude.
Our communities are in desperate need of people who love each other and seek out Truth in love and who can hear it without egos and attitudes.
The central purpose, the grand narrative, the over-arching achievement of God is to bring heaven and earth back together as one.
Our future hope does not involve us as disembodied spirits floating around in the sky.
God is not giving up on the creation that was called “good” from the very beginning.
There can be no hierarchy of bad behavior or worthiness because it is not about the action but about the position.
Our time would be better spent discussing how to demonstrate a greater love to the Muslims or how we can better serve them with our actions.
When our lives are dictated by our sinful and carnal bodies...we live enslaved and oppressed. But when our bodies are put in subjection to the ways of the Spirit there is freedom, life, and peace.
The way of Jesus does not have to be defended; it must be demonstrated. It never moves out in judgment; it moves out in love. It never extends in condemnation to the world; it extends in grace and mercy. The ways of arguing, defending, judging, and condemning always build up walls and embitter those in the world who are on the receiving end.
The truth of the matter is that there is nothing wrong with recognizing the fact that there are times when God does not answer prayer the way that I would like. And sometimes that means the unanswered prayer will make my life hard…sometimes unbearable…but it doesn’t mean that God is not there suffering with me or that God has turned against me and does not love me.
If freedom is of God, would God have us kill to maintain it?
I asked over 100 of my friends, “What is the Good News and why does it matter?” Of the nearly 30 responses I received, all but one essentially said the same thing, “The Good News is that Jesus died for our sins and those who believe in him will be forgiven.” Is that it?
The Christian is confronted by the paradox of the Holy Scriptures when told to consider it pure joy when faced with all kinds of trials.