Everybody goes through seasons of spiritual “stuckness,” days or weeks or sometimes even months when you just can’t seem to get out of your spiritual bad mood. If you’ve had that experience or are there now, you’re not alone. This is a normal part of the spiritual journey. It is not a sign of weakness; to the contrary, it may well
You and I are called to be personally engaged in making disciples of Jesus Christ.
To follow Jesus up close, rather than at a distance, we must base our lives on the reality of faith rather than the reality of fear.
It’s not a time to micromanage, but it is a time to glance at the big picture and identify potential trouble spots and retrain the growth to expand in the direction you’re aiming for.
The book is called ”The Book of Everyday Prayer,” and it’s for everyone who, like me, needs more than what comes off the top of their head.
If we are to hear the voice of God, and thus have an understanding of what it means to follow Jesus in real time, we must surround ourselves with the language and voice of God.
As we rehearse our vision of faith over and over, keeping it ever before us, it strengthens and sustains us, remaining intact as a source of strength during times of crisis and resistance.
Recovery is characterized by relapse. I wish someone had told me this a long time ago, before I lost patience with people who desperately need my patience. Relapse is what happens when people give up a powerfully magnetic addiction only to find themselves at some point giving into the temptation to try it again. It happens. Relapse doesn’t mean a
God offers Elijah, and us, three specific spiritual resources: visioning, speaking, and acting.
There is so much that we can learn about God, our life, our calling, by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. He can teach us how to love, how to be faithful, how to be holy, how to see to live out the good news of God’s love each day. And today we see something very significant, and very important to Jesus’ life and his
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 In the Inspire Movement, the ministry that my wife and I share as Missioners, we teach four core values of discipleship that can be found as we look at the life of Jesus in the Gospels: – Seeking growth in our love for God
Let’s keep it clear. As Chrstians we are to be like our Father. I can’t leave that claim without at least a bit more reflection on who God is. The story of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son Isaac is one of the most powerful, profound, and disturbing stories in the Bible. It is a story of promise…promise made, promise fulfilled.
A celebrity was being interviewed on a TV talk show. The host asked, “Can you recall the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?” “Yes, Next question!” When Embarrassment Leads to Transformation Most of us would like to forget our embarrassing or humbling experiences. We would like to move past the things that we aren’t proud of, or don’t
When I was the pastor of a congregation, preparing sermons every Sunday, I paid close attention to culture and timing… what was going on in the world, and particularly in my city and community. The Gospel is relevant not only to a religious calendar… Christmas, Lent, Easter but also, the civic one… civic holidays. That awareness and practice came strongly
I enjoy watching sports. I am amazed at the skills and talents demonstrated on the field in a competitive game or match. From my couch, I admire them while I enjoy a snack in the comfort of my living room. I must admit that rarely, however, do I follow their example of their hard work and dedication to their craft.
Let’s keep it clear. As Christians we are to be like our Father. Some religions say to their devotees, “Follow me, and the things you fear will not happen to you.” By contrast, Christianity says, “Follow Christ, and some or all of the things that you fear may happen to you; but you do not have to fear them anyway.”
I remember as if it were today, the day I entered the house of the youth leader and participated in a small discipleship group. My life was never the same after that moment. Until then, I was a teenager full of problems and doubts, marked by my father’s abandonment, the wounds of violence, and vices. I knew bitterness, sadness, feelings
In just a few days, Christ followers around the world will celebrate Pentecost, a remarkable day on the Church calendar, but one that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Pentecost was a Jewish festival, so on the day we will soon observe, people from all over had gathered in Jerusalem. Before he left them, Jesus had instructed his followers
One of the privileges and responsibilities too many Methodist Christians ignore is witnessing. We take the way some Christians do it as the norm and that turns us off. We close our minds to the fact that some may never hear unless we share. I was blessed to chair the Committee of the World Methodist Council for 12 years. This
James Rowe is a prolific music composer, and yet most of us have probably not heard of him. He was born in Ireland and worked for the Irish government before immigrating to the United States in his late 20s. Eventually, he became a full-time writer, composing hymns and editing music journals for publishers. One of my favorites songs among his
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