I have this terrible tendency to form on-the-spot judgments. I don’t always engage with grace and an open mind before instantly staking out a position. I believe that’s what they call “being judgmental.” A while back we met a young, energetic leader. In the course of our conversation he made what seemed to be a curious […]
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Hope Described
Hope … Knows there’s light when all that’s visible is darkness. Believes in possibility when confronted by impossibility. Expects order to emerge from chaos. Reaches out in the presence of isolation. Seeks joy when surrounded by despair. Accepts freedom even when buried by guilt. Moves forward despite fear. Perceives a remarkable future beyond the immediate […]
Continue readingMore TagGloria A Dios
On our recent tour, our teammate Doug was fond of the greeting “Gloria a Dios” (glory to God). Even when he received a nasty gash on his leg from a stray piece of glass in a trash bag, he limped to our starting circle with a hearty Gloria a Dios. I thought it was a […]
Continue readingMore TagDoes Your Heart Have Eyes?
“The only way this works is if I see with my heart.” We were talking about knowing God’s plan when this gem stopped the discussion. I asked him to elaborate. “I’ve always thought it wasn’t real unless I could evaluate it, touch it, taste, smell, hear, or see it. But now I believe the only […]
Continue readingMore TagWhere Do You See Jesus?
Sometimes the simplest questions are the best. The pastor asked one of those simple questions when Becky and I visited a new church with our FREEDOM TOUR teammate Andrew Thorne last weekend. He began the message by asking, “What would change if you saw Jesus in the person next to you?” The pastor shared a […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s Your Image Of Jesus?
What do you picture when you think about Jesus? Seriously, what just popped into your head? Me? I actually think about this quite a bit. I just picture walking along a quiet path together. Yeah, walking—no wheelchair. Just walking, and sometimes there’s talking but it’s okay if it’s quiet. It’s the being there together that […]
Continue readingMore TagOn Fake Happiness
“Why do people at church fake being happy?” I’ve told you the guys in my workshop ask great questions. They don’t know there’s some stuff you’re not supposed to mention. “So what makes you think they’re faking?” “Nobody’s that happy all the time. It’s like there’s a rule against being sad or upset. All the […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy We Need To Remember Less
Grace doesn’t forget. Grace chooses not to remember. Can God really “not remember” my sins? He’s God, right? He knows everything. And if He knows it all, how can He not remember? I’ll bet it’s been debated in countless all-nighters at every seminary over coffee and, depending on the seminary, other adult beverages. Because if […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s With All The Lines?
Everywhere you look, someone’s drawing a line. The line identifies us. You’re either on my side, or the wrong side. You see the lines everywhere. I scrolled through my Facebook feed yesterday and realized I skipped a lot of items because they were about drawing lines. I’m tired of lines. Drawing lines is beyond discussing […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s The Most Difficult Thing?
“I didn’t know it would be this hard.” He’s a tough guy. Lived on the streets, sold drugs, survived and in many ways thrived in a harsh, violent world. To me, THAT sounds hard, always looking over your shoulder and sleeping with one eye open, never knowing who to trust, literally fighting your way through […]
Continue readingMore TagJesus Talks About Comparing
I used to work for a principal who claimed that the most unfair thing we could do was treat everyone exactly the same. Do you agree? Many folks objected when he approached different kids in different ways. I can’t imagine how many times I heard someone whine, “It’s not fair!” Our insistence on “fairness” is […]
Continue readingMore TagJesus Isn’t About Fake Smiles
Ever have a week when you wish you could hit the delete button? I’ve spent most of the last few days feeling like the entire world is out to get me. Every little task seems monumental, every obstacle insurmountable. I’m just plain sick and tired of the whole thing…whatever that means. What’s strange is that […]
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