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...
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...
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...
A few years ago, I posted a short video on YouTube—a quick, three-minute reflection about the theologian A.W. Tozer. Little did I know that video would spark debates and continue to garner social media comments even years later. Something in those few words struck a nerve. It revealed a complex a...
A letter to the disillusioned, the discouraged, the confused, the scared, and the vulnerable.
Like many in our nation, I've been trying to process the election results. While I knew our current outcome was possible, I am more surprised than not to see it come to pass. As a white male, I've taken a ...
My wife is a diehard Olympic fan, and thus, all sorts of events have been playing on our TV nearly nonstop for over a week now. In addition, I've seen many passionate Christians making very passionate arguments about the Olympics online.
Here are three things I've noticed.
1. Christians are very s...
Batman and Robin.
Peanut butter and jelly.
Mario and Luigi.
Fear and Christianity.
It seems some things just go together.
And it's not just the fear of hell (although that's the big one). It turns out we've found ways to weave fear into much of how we make sense of Christianity. It could be ...
From my vantage point, we are witnessing a fascinating shift in our understanding of God and faith and the church. We are asking different questions and considering new ways of living as a community of Jesus followers.
Yet we often look at all that has been established and then downplay what slowly...
This weekend I had the chance to preach in a series called "What's On Your Mind?" I shared a story that explores a profound cultural shift through the eyes of early followers of Jesus. Our story is set in the book of Acts, chapter ten, and revolves around the pivotal transformation experienced by...
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