Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
Yesterday, I read through Jeremiah 7, and I thought about people who think they’re “safe” because they go to church, or something like that, but really don’t walk with God or obey God. The prophet Jeremiah says on God’s behalf, “Don’t trust in lies: ‘This is the Lord’s temple! The Lord’s temple! The Lord’s temple!’” … Read more
Recently, I was reading in Matthew 20 where Jesus asked two blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” I love what the Scripture says next: “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him” (Matthew 20.32-34, NET). … Read more
Inspired by Psalm 103, worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman cowrote the song, “10,000 Reasons” with a Swedish friend, Jonas Myrin. In Psalm 103, David lists several reasons why his heart is full of worship for God. So, Redman and Myrin made a list of their own reasons and noted they were barely scratching the … Read more
“Leaders go first.” It’s a fairly common phrase. I thought of it the other day as I was reading 1 Chronicles 29. King David, nearing the end of his life, is preparing the nation for its new king, his son, Solomon. Specifically, David is making preparations for the building of God’s temple. The temple was … Read more
Why is there a Christmas? I believe there’s a Christmas because “God’s faithful love endures forever!” That’s a phrase that appears over and over in the Old Testament (mainly in the Psalms). It includes the Hebrew word, hesed (appears 248 times in the Old Testament), which describes God’s faithful love, loyalty, and devotion. God’s faithful … Read more
Recently, Adam Weber, pastor of Embrace Church (a United Methodist Church) posted a prayer on Twitter that has stuck with me … Lord, please use us to make your name great. #thefamousOne — adamweber (@adamweber) December 6, 2013 This prayer, and this attitude, is essential for staying humble and hungry. Focusing on God’s greatness keeps … Read more
Recently, I was reading in Exodus 20 and the words describing what followed the giving of the Ten Commandments grabbed my attention … 18 All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking—and when the people saw it they trembled with fear … Read more
Recently, I re-read Exodus 18 where Moses receives a visit by his father-in-law, Jethro. It’s a well-known story, especially among Christian leaders. It’s often used to make a case for team-building and delegation. After observing Moses do all of the work by himself, Jethro advises Moses to find and equip capable people to share the … Read more
As I look back over the past twenty-five years of following Jesus, clearly my greatest passion has been God’s mission — engaging in it and leading others to engage in it, too! I’ve always been challenged by Jesus’ first words after the resurrection: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you!” (John 20.21, … Read more
When we encounter adversity, we naturally want to get through it as quickly as possible. When we get knocked down, we want to get back up and get on with it as quickly as possible! But, often, it simply takes time, sometimes a long time, to get through seasons of adversity! It’s easy to lose … Read more