How Competition Made Me Less Successful Our world needs people who compete less and encourage more. It desires us to be liberal with our encouragement and quick to celebrate the accomplishments of others. Look for talented people and invest into their success. Avoid speaking negatively of others. Continue reading

The MLK Memorial I had gone to Washington when I was a boy, so there were several new memorials that I hadn’t seen before. One of them was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. While the statue there is impressive, what really impressed me were some of the quotes that surrounded it. These were some… Continue reading

Thinking You’re Naked Who told you that you were not enough? Who told you that I didn’t love you? Who told you that there was something outside of me you needed? Who told you that you were ugly? Who told you that your dream was foolish? Who told you that you would never have a… Continue reading

I Hope We Never Become a ‘Christian Nation’ Again Institutionalized Christianity — churches, schools, corporations, organizations — may be on the decline, but the ideals of Christ are certainly not, and there’s a revolution occurring that puts the emphasis back on following Christ’s example of service, sacrifice, and love, contrary to spreading “Christianity” through political… Continue reading

Insisting Jesus Was White Is Bad History and Bad Theology The myth of a white Jesus is one with deep roots throughout Christian history. As early as the Middle Ages and particularly during the Renaissance, popular Western artists depicted Jesus as a white man, often with blue eyes and blondish hair. Perhaps fueled by some… Continue reading

Where Does True Love Come From Love is birthed in a heart that is free from guilt and that enjoys pure motivations. Paul recognized fully his own sinfulness, but he ministered with a good conscience because he had met the wrath-overcoming, mercy-displaying, joy-bringing Christ. As he says in 1 Timothy 1:14, “The grace of our… Continue reading

Because He First Served Us Our good works, which flow from our faith, are not for God. They are for our neighbor. As Martin Luther preached, “By faith we receive blessings from above, from God; through love we give them out below, to our neighbor.” In other words, works no longer dominate us; rather, we have… Continue reading

Internet Hate and the Gospel The living God is grieved when our attacks and slander bring disunity to the body of Christ. There is a better way to spend our time than arguing with other Christians over the Internet. King David declares in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in… Continue reading

Context: How Do We Keep the Church Relevant? Communicating a message is so much more than designing a logo or making sure your kerning is perfect on a poster. While these things are important, the message or design in any media needs to engage with the audience. If it doesn’t engage, then those people will… Continue reading

Armed with the Weapon of Peace Notice the word doesn’t say peacekeepers, or peace-lovers, or even peace-wanters?  We are called to be Peacemakers because of the Prince of Peace who lives in us.  We are co-heirs of Christ called to reveal Him and re-present Him to the world.  Romans 8:19 tells us that creation eagerly… Continue reading