Freedom
”But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:7-8 (NIV) I had a humorous and rather humiliating moment of clarity about a […]
The Reproach Of Egypt
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”. Joshua 5:9 We sunk down into our chairs feeling a mixture of embarrassment and shame. Holidays in which the entire extended family would come together were some of the most joyful times of my childhood. I rarely spent […]
The Gift Of Contentment
Last week Leah and I had the opportunity to visit some of our family back in Chicago. We are always grateful for those precious hours given the fact that our ministry assignments have brought us a bit of a distance from our hometown. Upon arriving at their grandmother’s house, the kids lit up with excitement to learn […]
The Lost Art Of Really Listening
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19 I have this very vivid memory of a particular gym class during my elementary school years. The physical ed. teacher declared that it was “free gym day”, which meant a bunch of high-wired […]
Rural Dreams: Transitioning From Big City To Small Town Ministry
Sharing with you all an article I wrote for the Gospel Coalition during my time in Canada. I hope it will be helpful as we consider our approach to ministry cross culturally. MAY 27, 2018 I sat motionless on my sofa as I watched Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs third baseman make a play on […]
Faith Expressed Through Obedience
“Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” Genesis 22:5 I stepped into chapel feeling spiritually and emotionally sunken. The student worship band had already began their first set as I shuffled around lethargically for a seat […]