Pastoring Amid Depression
I had wanted to connect and reach out emotionally, but something inside me was asleep or disconnected.
There was a darkness that had set in. My sorrow and discouragement began to wrap around me and squeeze. It was hard to not experience my entire reality (my family, work, rest, prayers) through the filter of sadness and sorrow. “The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more,” says Charles... Continue Reading
Is Church (Literally) Good for You?
For all the benefits of church participation, Jesus is the only true elixir. He is the living water, who draws us through death to life.
The article goes on to summarize an extensive body of research showing that religious participation correlates with multiple measures of mental and physical health: those who attend services have lower rates of depression, are more optimistic, are less likely to commit suicide, and are 20% to 30% less likely to die over a fifteen-year period.... Continue Reading
So Much to Teach — So Much to Learn
As I consider the parental responsibility to teach and discipline the children, I recognize the sheer amount of information that children must learn.
As we seek to discipline and train our children, we need to be sure that we are teaching them what the correct choices are, and not just harping on the negative. Our children need to learn that certain behaviors are inappropriate, but we also need to be teaching them what the alternative correct choices are.... Continue Reading
The Power of Water
Millions of people in developing nations live in villages or rural areas where the only source of water is a polluted river, stream, or swamp.
While an average American household uses about 100 gallons of water each day, families in the developing world use a mere five gallons a day. Consequently, after hauling water home, the poor have to choose whether to use it for drinking, cooking, bathing, or washing dishes and clothes because they do not have enough water... Continue Reading
Why an Engineer Cares about Theology
Theology provides a cosmic perspective on my work, the boundaries and constraints on my life, and why work doesn’t always go the way I wish it would go.
One of the first things I discover when I study theology is that there is a God who exists outside of time and space, who exists outside our cosmos, who personally created our universe. The story of creation tells me that engineering is not just a job, but a privilege bestowed on me by the... Continue Reading
A Prayer for the Church (Galatians 5:16-26)
Father, we ask all of this. Dare we ask for even more?
“Will you make your church a place where love informs action, where joy runs deep, where peaceful hearts produce patient people? Will you give us the pleasure of seeing kindness amongst Christian children?” Our Father in heaven, we rejoice to remember that hidden in the holiness of your Son, you count us holy in... Continue Reading
How To Prepare For Sunday
My pastor often encourages us to read the sermon passage ahead of time
“I’ve found it beneficial to set aside Sunday as a Sabbath. This keeps my mind free from the unfinished to-do list and creeping deadlines. I also avoid vegging out in front of the television—I can’t ponder eternity when the capacity of my mind has shrunk to the size of a screen.” What did you... Continue Reading
Preaching Christ
It is always helpful to go to the New Testament to seek or glean the method and message found in the biblical record of Apostolic preaching.
Some see the sermon as a fireside chat; others, as a stimulus for psychological health; still others, as a commentary on contemporary politics. But some still view the exposition of sacred Scripture as a necessary ingredient to the office of preaching. The church of the twenty-first century faces many crises. One of the most... Continue Reading
Love Your Church’s Young Adults
The stereotypes of Gen Y are far outweighed by the other characteristics I’ve come across.
I am in my 40s but am blessed to count several young adults in my friendship group and many more in my acquaintance. I have found them to be passionate for the gospel and incredibly hard workers. They are focused and open-minded and keen as jumping beans to learn. At the same time, they have... Continue Reading
Christianity at the Crossroads: The Second Century
How worried should Christians be about the Church in a Post-Christian environment that is dissolutely spending down its Reformation cultural capital and shoving Christianity over the cultural cliff?
As a consequence of fighting back against the increasing number of worldviews, many writers assert that Christianity has been stripped of its title as the West’s heavyweight cultural influence. This worldview smorgasbord has led others to hail the arrival of the “Post-Christian West,” with Christian writers lamenting this transition as a harbinger of doom for... Continue Reading
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