In general, we have a good idea of what international missions is. It’s about following God’s call, it’s about a heart for the nations, it’s about a surrender and commitment. It’s an exciting, life-changing journey, hopefully for you and for the people you’ll be ...
We all know that there is a cost to missions for those who go. Spiritually, emotionally, physically… missions, for all the impact, takes something from you. That’s why long-term, international missions is such a helpful indicator of discipleship. It innately reflects a level of ...
It’s a rat race out there. Fast-paced, hectic, demanding. It strains us, it pulls at us, it takes from us. Life is moving all too fast. It wasn’t like that two weeks ago, though, at least for my family. We were in Africa, back where I grew up. It was slow-paced and highly relational. ...
A couple weeks ago, I preached a message entitled “The What of Prayer.” We talked that day about how we generally tend to pray about what is right in front of us rather than big, life prayers. The former isn’t bad, of course, but the latter sure is necessary. The former is often ...
I was in the third phase of my first entry-level triathlon and I was whipped. I’d been going about an hour, with much of the run portion ahead of me, and I sure was tired. It was then that I heard encouragement from a passing runner that blessed me, but also made me pull back. The words were ...
There are shades of darkness. There is dusk, as the sun heads off to sleep and darkness just starts to fall on the land. Then there is night in the city, where the darkness is punctuated by isolated lights. And then, there is the darkness hour of the night, in the darkest places, where there is no ...
Suffering. None of us want it. In fact, we avoid it at all costs. Headaches get medicine, hunger gets food, and fatigue gets sleep. Whatever the symptom, we have a remedy. Few times are we unable to repair our issue. We have an aversion to suffering, and for the ...
Ministry flows from intimacy. It is not done in a vacuum, operating out of our own strength, intuition, and determination. Ministry is our Lord’s, done for His glory, honor, and fame. Ministry flows from intimacy with Him. Only then are we renewed, changed, and inspired. It is His presence ...
If the Apostle Paul walked into Hope Church, would he be comfortable? This question is plaguing me. Badly. Because the answer tells us all we need to know. If it’s a no… well, we somehow aren’t living out normal biblical Christianity. Our church doesn’t reflect a New ...
When it comes to overseas missions, we all like to talk about a “calling.” We often make it seem mystical and mysterious, almost impossible to attain. It keeps us up at night and is constantly on our minds. We worry if we don’t have it, or if it doesn’t compare to someone ...
