Why the “Christian life” isn’t worth living
For most of my life, I focused my faith on knowing Jesus through morality management. More accurately, Jesus was savior and the Spirit was the voice that helped give me the strength to avoid things like cussing, gossip, lust, and pride. Getting through a single day where those sins were avoided meant a major victory as I walked closer to … [Read More...]
Your god of Hatred is an Idol – Processing the Legitimate Grief of Sandy Hook with Love
I had a meeting last Friday morning, so all I knew was that a shooting of some sort had taken place at a school in Connecticut. After a staff brunch, I hopped into my car for the commute home. As I often do, I turned on my (trial offer) satellite radio to CNN to catch up on the news. What I heard was disturbing. At that time, the reports stated … [Read More...]
Following Jesus: The Best Gun Control Ever!
The Central Valley of California is similar to most of rural America. It’s an area with lots of traditional folks, many who love God and desire to serve Christ in all things. Places like the Valley at times carry the baggage of some sloppy theology, handed down from fundamentalism and the Religious Right. For this reason, I grew up believing that … [Read More...]
Revelation 17: The Whore, The Empire, and A Tale of Two Cities [observations and sermon download]
If you follow this blog regularly (and my Facebook and Twitter feeds), you probably have noticed that I've been doing some research on the book of Revelation. Last week, I posted what I think will be the first of several scattered posts about my findings as I study the book [Corrective Strategies and Themes for Understanding the Book of … [Read More...]
Unfinished (Rich Stearns – World Vision) book giveaway! [just comment and share]
Rich Stearns is someone I first became familiar with through the book The Hole in our Gospel. In it, he advocates for the church's role amongst the poor and marginalized throughout the world. He now has come out with a new book, Unfinished: Believing is Only the Beginning. The flow of the book goes something like this: God has … [Read More...]
An Interview with NT Wright – Ecclesia and Ethics
On behalf of the Conference Ecclesia and Ethics, out of the University of St Andrews, conference organizers John Dunne (thetwocities.com) John Frederick (truthstatic.com) sit down live in St. Andrews, Scotland with Professor N.T. Wright who is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews. Join us on May 18th … [Read More...]
Corrective Strategies and Themes for Understanding the Book of Revelation (Tired of the chaos? Me too!)
After my most popular status update ever affirmed it a few months back, I've decided to do some intentional thinking about the book of Revelation. These posts will be scattered for a time, but will eventually make up a series of posts. This biblical bookend is perhaps the most abused text in all of christendom. Many of us who distinguish between … [Read More...]
“What will you do after seminary?” – A Female Grad on Becoming a Pastor
I will graduate on May 11, mere days from now. God willing, I will soon possess a diploma that says M.A. in Theological Studies. I took the scenic, part-time, pay-as-you-go route through seminary, so this has been a four-year project. Which is why so many are recently asking: “What will you do after seminary?” In return, I often respond with … [Read More...]
New Book Highly Recommend by 47 Top Leaders – Get 25 Free Gifts If You Get It Now By May 7th
My friend Frank Viola has just released a new book called God’s Favorite Place on Earth that could literally change your relationship with God, help you defeat bitterness, free you from a guilty conscience, and help you overcome fear, doubt and discouragement once and for all. This is a book that will jar you out of your "Christian rut" and … [Read More...]
North Korea may bomb the hell out of us and blow us to smithereens, yet we will cling to the instability of hope
***I wrote this article prior to the events in Boston, otherwise my title would have been a bit more sensitive. My prayers go out to the victims and their families. At the moment, I have the unfortunate luck to commute about an hour to and from work every day. Don’t get me wrong, I love my current job and realize I’m blessed to have … [Read More...]
Brennan Manning clip: Jesus will ask us – “Did you believe that I really loved you?”
As you may have heard, Brennan Manning past away on Friday. Here are some potent words on God's love for us. Gives a great picture of the essence of Manning's teachings. … [Read More...]
Philip Yancey on Brennan Manning on the day of his passing
I love the work of Brennan Manning. His books The Ragamuffin Gospel and The Signature of Jesus made a profound impact on my spiritual journey. Tonight I learned that he passed away. Although I never met him, he taught me much about the grace and love of God. Brennan Manning's homepage reports the following message: It is with mixed emotions that … [Read More...]
The past, present, and future of Kurt Willems (Comprehensive Enough???)
What I share below is part of an interview with a local web magazine from where I grew up. I share about my life, passions, and future. I hope you will check it out. A big thanks to Lorie Lewis Ham for interviewing me... a huge honor! Here's an excerpt and I encourage you to read the rest of it (and all the other great content) at Kings River … [Read More...]
![By Scott Sandars from Melbourne, Australia (Lupe Fiasco) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/thepangeablog/files/2013/04/512px-Lupe_Fiasco_-_Melbourne1-150x150.jpg "512px-Lupe_Fiasco_-_Melbourne1")
America’s Unforgivable Youth: What Lupe Fiasco can Teach the Church
Growing up, I developed a love for rap music. Yep. Many of you are shocked. I don’t fit the stereotype. I also used to be heavily involved in skateboarding. Some of my best memories include solo sessions on my board popping kick-flips to the rhythms of a smooth hip-hop track. It’s probably the closest I ever got to dancing with confidence – … [Read More...]
Comfortable Idolatry? – Padding our prayer benches in the flag
Here is more evidence of nationalism in our culture. This couldn't be further from anything Christian. Product: Folding Prayer Bench, Patriotic Edition Walnut meditation bench upholstered in American Flag fabric to enhance your prayer time. The flag, of any nation, and the cross of Christ NEVER belong together. For those who don't think … [Read More...]
Parenting Reimagined Podcast: Dreaming of a Daughter Liberated and Loved
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Subscribe via iTunes I recently was interviewed by my friend Sherry Walling, Ph.D. She the mother of two sons, a clinical psychologist, a seminary graduate (Fuller), a world traveler, and a person who spends Friday nights at home in sweatpants. The Parenting Reimagined podcast is her … [Read More...]
Is preaching nonviolence bad for evangelism?
Many in the evangelical realm, especially pastors and lay leaders committed to church growth, believe that proclaiming the revolutionary vision of nonviolence and Kingdom allegiance is antithetical to evangelism. In other words, some folks (with good intentions) worry that emphasizing an Anabaptist (peace and justice) ethic might make the Gospel … [Read More...]
Oremus: A Catholic Friend Brings Us His Prayer Request for the Papal Conclave
***Guest Post By David Ozab Catholic or not, unless you're spent the last month on a deserted island cut off from all communication from the outside world, you know that Pope Benedict XVI resigned at the end of February, that the College of Cardinals has convened in Rome, and that today the cardinal electors (all cardinals under the age of 80) … [Read More...]
One person’s ceiling is another person’s floor – Evangelical Sophistry
*The follow post is written by Al Molineux Have you ever listened to a sermon or read a blog that seems to have the ring of truth about it but leaves you with misgivings because you recognise that what's on offer it is not the whole story? I heard one recently and it left me with the need to dig a little deeper into what was being said. The … [Read More...]
A soon-to-be dad dreams of a daughter liberated for her soon-to-be world
My daughter grows within my wife’s womb while I dream of the day when she will enter her soon-to-be world. What kind of world and church will she enter? The church and world habitually silences women. Although the West is becoming (slowly) more egalitarian, the reality is that men dominate in many ways. Several studies, for instance, demonstrate … [Read More...]
God is not an Oldsmobile – What we talk about when we talk about God (Rob Bell)
This is a great promo video for Rob Bell's latest book: What We Talk about When We Talk about God. I'm looking forward to reading this one. … [Read More...]
Ridding the Rapture from our Lips: Evangelical Young Adults and the End
EXCERPT FROM LAWRENCE GARCIA: The term “rapture” within eschatological discourse can take on many shades of meaning and nuance; some are convinced the term can be retained as long as we are sure to clarify what is meant by it. However, I’m persuaded that the term is beyond recovery seeing its continual use may lead to a slow “death of a … [Read More...]
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