Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
Mark 1.16-20 “Evangelizing in the church is like fishing in a bathtub: it’s terribly convenient, but you don’t catch much.” (Dr. Roy Fish) Evangelism is hard work! It requires dedication and perseverance! Listen to Paul’s commitment and dedication in1 Corinthians 9.20-27. Stay on task!“Too many Christians are no longer fishers of [people] but keepers of … Read more
"Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens." (James 1.17) One of my favorite images for us is a cup or a clay jar. I am an empty vessel, and I depend on God to fill me. If my cup runs over, it’s only because … Read more
Psalm 67 I have been saying for since the end of 2004 that I believe these first four months of 2005 are a vitally important time in the life of our spiritual journey together. We began the year talking about “revolutionary discipleship” (what it means to be a Christ-follower). During Lent, we looked at a … Read more
John 20.1-23 Why is this night different from all other nights? That’s what a young child asks at Passover during the Jewish Passover meal. And the answer is, This is the night that God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. Why is this day different from all other days? This is the day God … Read more
Our closing hymn last week, Where He Leads Me, impacted me in an unexpected way. I shared a little bit about that during the benediction, saying that I can’t think of a more dangerous prayer, or statement of commitment: “Wherever he leads me, I will follow.” This idea leads us right into this week’s talk, … Read more
One of the vital habits of growing disciples involves the process of becoming immersed in God’s Word. I believe that if we’re going to be devoted followers of Jesus, we must be people of the book! And if we’re going to be a missional community after God’s own heart, we must be people of the … Read more
Acts 2.42-47 Words to describe the missional community Assembly/Congregation This was the word was commonly used to describe God’s people in the Old Testament. One of the great “doing life together” stories in the Old Testament is the story of Achan. When Joshua led the Israelites into Jericho, the people were instructed not to take … Read more
Our Lenten Journey The earliest followers of Jesus were often called “followers of the Way.” In Greek (the NT language), the word “way” also means “road.” This Lenten season, we’ve been looking at some of the roads Jesus walked during his life on earth. Tonight, we’ll take a look at “The Road to Jerusalem.” Jerusalem … Read more
From the beginning of our spiritual heritage, we’ve been taught to put God first. In fact, that’s how the Ten Commandments begin: “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. “Do not worship any other gods besides me…” (Exodus 20). And, Deuteronomy 6.4-6, which we’ve been lifting up, instructs us … Read more
As long as I’ve been following Jesus, I have been interested in spiritual growth and transformation. I’ve been interested in the ways that Christ-followers grow. This series is something of an outgrowth of this interest. My goal is to be a spiritual leader (like the abbot in a monastic community) whose job it is to … Read more