Despite my deep immersion in church culture growing up, I didn't discover there was more than one Christian view of hell until my twenties. It was always just assumed that there was one way of understanding it. But this revelation changed a lot for me.
In my recent podcast episode, I explore the...
A few months ago, I started my Sunday morning message series called Rebuilding Faith. Each week's message is ten minutes or less, and I'm currently going through the Gospel of John... slowly.
I just finished chapter one after eight weeks (and an intro). Here's a list of the episodes so far in case ...
One of the stories we're exploring in our online book study this week (you can join us here) is about an assassin who ends eighteen years of oppression for the ancient Israelites under a tyrant king.
Who said the Bible was boring?
The assassin's name is Ehud, and he's one of only three people in t...
Curious about the Bible but tired of the same old answers?
Consider this your official invite to join me for my first-ever online book study. Beginning on March 1st, we'll unpack Rob Bell's book What is the Bible? The subtitle shows what you'll experience if you join us in this challenge: "How an ...
One of the most common beliefs in the world is the idea of karma—the notion that if you do something bad, eventually something bad will happen to you, and if you do something good, good things will come your way. It’s a neat and satisfying way to think about justice. But here’s the problem: Jesus...
You may have seen the clip of a Bishop giving what appears to be a very tense sermon in front of the President and Vice President. That clip went viral and made Mariann Edgar Budde a hero in the eyes of many. I was in awe of what she said and how she said it and when I found out she wrote a book cal...
I used to think that talking about democracy was a bit out of place for people focused on living out our faith in Jesus. But I've come to realize more and more that who we think a government should benefit has massive real-world consequences, especially for vulnerable people who are in a minority gr...
I had the opportunity to contribute a chapter to a two-part theology book that was recently published. The volumes explore Dr. Thomas Jay Oord's concept of God's "amipotence" (rather than omnipotence). My chapter was about how a good God isn't waiting for our prayers to act for our good.
When we re...
When I was a Lead Pastor, I had a memorable conversation with a church member who loved the Old Testament but found my approach to it troubling. They couldn’t understand why I didn’t hold its teachings at the same level as the New Testament. That moment set the stage for countless conversations a...
When I became more vocal about some of my evolving beliefs, I stopped getting invited to preach in many of the places where I was a regular guest speaker. I don't regret this, but it's a somewhat depressing reality. Many of you have experienced similar feelings in your church communities as you've f...
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