Rich's Ride

Cutting Corners

It’s easy to lose track of purpose. We begin with grand mission statements involving faith and generosity. But it’s so easy to get seduced by short term goals and opportunities for growth. It’s pretty understandable why so many people and organizations cut corners. Seems like that mission statement can serve one of two purposes. It’s […]

I Don’t Wanna

“I have to do this,” I’ll say. Becky’s response: “No, you get to do this.” It’s a half-serious, half-joking conversation that runs on a loop in our house. I suppose we could write it off as background noise, but I think there’s more to it. I’m pretty privileged. There are some things I have to […]

Make Disciples

Last time I talked about the idea that it might take 300 touches, 300 impressions or interactions, for some people to really encounter Jesus. It got me thinking about the great commission, Jesus’ commandment to go and make disciples. And it seems like we’ve turned that into an entire industry of mission trips and church […]

300 Revisited

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about 300 touches. It’s one of my core thoughts about Jesus, and it comes from this question: What if it takes 300 touches to really see Jesus? In this context, a touch means any sort of interaction or impression, sort of like advertising where the idea doesn’t always […]

Early Birds

The early bird gets the worm, right? At the FREEDOM TOUR, we’re not handing out worms. We are, however, offering discounts for early registration to the FREEDOM TOUR CLASSIC. But you have to act soon. The discounts end February 1st. There’s a route for every ability. You could bring your family and enjoy a 15 […]

Quid Pro Quo

We’re sort of conditioned into a quid pro quo idea of generosity. Want great service? Tip generously. It’s odd, because the link implies there’s no point to giving generously if we don’t get something in return. At the FREEDOM TOUR, we’re surrounded by one-way generosity, by people who give time, talent, and money – expecting […]

Let’s Go!

What if you could stand against injustice simply by walking, running, or riding your bike? What if every mile raised a dollar, and what if you were part of a community accumulating miles and dollars that change the lives of kids rescued from human trafficking? We would like to invite you to join the HOPE […]

On Your Mark

Ever watch the sprint at a track meet? The starter gives three commands. ON YOUR MARK! Runners settle into the starting blocks. A few moments, until everyone’s completely still and relaxed. SET! Runners rise into takeoff position. Muscles tensed, waiting, anticipating… BANG! The race begins. “SET” can only last a second or two. Once everyone’s […]

First Things

I don’t do resolutions, but I ran across an idea that might make for a good thought to begin 2023. Honesty, without empathy, is cruelty. I always strive for honesty – as I write, as I lead the FREEDOM TOUR. But I hope I never hurl truth at people without listening first, without doing my […]

Out Of Sight

It’s more comfortable when the shepherds stay in their fields. When they’re out of sight, I can ignore how we’ve isolated them, made them outcasts, treated them as less than. I can pretend it’s okay that they’re unwelcome at our gatherings, our neighborhoods, our homes. But then God does something crazy. He chooses these guys […]

The Shepherds

For some reason, I’m listening to more Christmas music this year. And I’ve noticed the shepherds. We idealize them. Kids play the shepherds in the church pageant. But they were the lowest, outcasts doing a stinky job no one else would do. When God decided to announce the pivotal moment in all of human history, […]

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” They’re among the Bible’s most familiar words. As we approach Christmas, as we give and receive gifts, I wonder: What sort of perspective might be gained if we focused some attention each day on this greatest of all gifts?

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