I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and...
03129 – It’s a Gift!
The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life itself comes from. You can survive on...
02868 – “Hymn for the Hurting”
Everything hurts,Our hearts shadowed and strange,Minds made muddied and mute.We carry tragedy, terrifying and true.And yet none of it is new;We knew it as home,As horror,As heritage.Even our childrenCannot be children,Cannot be. Everything hurts.It’s a hard time to be...
02578 – Forgiveness and Compassion
For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?
02561 – Renewed by God’s Mercy
God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). ...Let us be renewed by God's mercy; let us be loved by Jesus; let us enable the power of His love to transform our lives; and let us become agents of this...
02544 – Let’s Align Our Expectations
When we expect our church to never offend and always affirm our social, political, or personal sensibilities, we are looking for a mutual admiration society. Church is designed to transform us into a contrast community gathered around the Way of Jesus. Let's align our...
02385 – Personal Salvation & Transformation
The Gospel must not only offer a personal salvation in the future life to those who believe; it must also transform all the relationships of life here and now and thus cause the Kingdom of God to prevail in all the world. from The Deeply Formed life: Five...
02319 – Truly Worshiping
The one who has truly worshiped will have a sense of peace and a confident expectation of what God is about to do. True worship produces a transformed life, reflecting the One who has been worshiped. from Experiencing God, Day by Day
01994 – What is Restoration?
Restoration is the inworking of God's presence that transforms us with the heart of God, the mind of Christ, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
01769 – What is Sabbath?
Sabbath is not simply the pause that refreshes. It is the pause that transforms.