As I have been praying for my walk with Christ to look more like the Christianity I see in the book of Acts, there is a section in chapter 4 that has been the focus of my prayers. Verse 29 and 30 of chapter 4 are the verses I want to see so badly in my life and the lives of Christians ...
If a church is getting its job done, that church should be a launching pad, not a landing place. This truth is uncomfortable for some of us, grating us a consumer-oriented approach to church. That’s the “come on in, customize your experience, and stay here forever” type of ...
As we walk under the bond of Covenant with one another, the call is high. The weight of John 13:34 is nonnegotiable as Jesus commands, “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” And later Paul writes in Galatians, “bear one another’s burdens, and so ...
All genuine Christians will love other Christians. Period. God’s Word is clear on this: Christians are called to show their love for God, in part, by the way they love other Christians. We see this concept repeatedly in the book of 1 John. I want us to briefly examine two particularly ...
There is a tension that rests within each of us. It’s a war of priorities, ever ravaging our minds and our souls. It pursues us, and at times consumes us. The tension comes from competing values. We simultaneously espouse both God’s Kingdom and our own. We are a people dominated by ...
We all have those moments when someone speaks a word about how the Gospel of Christ has been wrecking their life and it ends up piercing our own hearts as we listen. It is one of the beautiful aspects of community; we learn more of God’s character from each other than we do if we live in ...
If you have not read my previous blog posts called, Not Alone part 1 & 2, I encourage you to go back and read those, as they will give you a greater framework for understanding this post. So God created us to need an intimate relationship with Him and with people. That gives us some ...
If you’re anything like me, the Old Testament can be a bit confusing to read, and somewhat intimidating. I find myself much more comfortable in the New Testament, especially in Paul’s letters, which tend to be logical and, in format, not unlike what I’m used to reading on an ...
How do you react to feedback or criticism? How do you react when someone points out a weakness they see in you? How do you respond when someone gives you a stern rebuke for your performance or for a sinful attitude you had. If you are anything like me, one of these responses will easily begin to ...
There is no secret to it: authentic community is not always easy, but it sure is worth it. When Hope started just over a year ago, it was our sincere desire to see authentic community become the norm. Raw, candid, honest community, the type that takes courage and intentionality. But it’s ...
