How One Man Made a Difference

Last updated on: May 19, 2016 at 5:52 pm By Guest Contributor

by Eric Kampmann May 20, 1940. The army of the German Reich was sweeping across Northern Europe; four hundred thousand English troops were trapped on the northern coast of France; Neville Chamberlain had just resigned as Prime Minister and Winston Churchill had replaced him. The English government was torn between fighting on against impossible odds or, perhaps more sensibly, signaling to foreign intermediaries an openness to discuss with Hitler terms of a truce. Could Churchill, with all the odds stacked... Read more

Three Ways to Stop Pursuing and Be Pursued (by God)

Last updated on: May 19, 2016 at 5:37 pm By Guest Contributor

by Joshua Ryan Butler Be sure to check out our Book Club on The Pursuing God. The gospel highlights not our pursuit of God, but God’s pursuit of us. Unfortunately, many caricatures get the biblical story backward. Here’s three ways the gospel confronts our caricatures, to reveal afresh the relentless love of God. #1 GOD AND SIN Caricature: God can’t stand to be in the presence of sin. Gospel: Sin can’t stand to be in the presence of God. Many envision... Read more

The Pharisee and the Trump Supporter

Last updated on: May 2, 2016 at 8:45 am By Guest Contributor

by Matt Mellema Each election cycle brings a whole set of temptations for me. Sometimes I’m tempted to anxiety, struggling to trust God as the world spins away. Others times it’s worldliness, believing that my favorite politicians can create utopia all on their own. Still other times it’s a lack of charity, casting my opponents as soulless goblins out to destroy everything. But there’s one sin that’s especially hard for me to shake: self-righteousness. The self-righteous temptation is worst with... Read more

The Emptiness of Comparison

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:59 pm By Guest Contributor

by Andrew Voigt Comparison has poisoned many days in my life, leaving me feeling inferior, superior, neglected, praised, cheated, and hollow. But you knew that already…We all do, but we still won’t stop comparing ourselves to one another. Why? What is it about comparing ourselves to others that is so appealing? This isn’t merely, “They have ____ & I don’t, so I feel inferior.” We often neglect that comparison can also be a form of arrogance. “I just got ____... Read more

The Impostor & The War Within

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:54 pm By Guest Contributor

by Andrew Voigt I follow Jesus; I deny Jesus. I love my wife; I love myself more than my wife. I desire truth; I hide my darkness behind convenient lies. I love hope; I succumb to despair. I’m a fan of the Atlanta Braves; I also support the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago Cubs…Call that a confusing scenario. We all have an impostor within, fighting against all that is good, true, and meaningful. I first heard the analogy of... Read more

What Have We Become? – Humanity’s Denial of Evil That Has Invited Hell To Earth

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:45 pm By Guest Contributor

by Andrew Voigt “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true. The other is to refuse to accept what is true.” – Soren Kierkegaard This morning I’m thinking about Brussels, Belgium…I’ve never lived there, nor have I even visited, but the tragedy that took place yesterday has left me feeling sick…Evil is real and it will effect us all, whether in our own lives or in the lives of others across the globe. We... Read more

Blink: What Are We Living For In A World Decaying?

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:26 pm By Guest Contributor

by Andrew Voigt I’ve been thinking about the past, present, and future…I’ve been thinking about how quickly life is passing by, constantly morphing into something different every day. The more I think about the brevity of life, the more my thoughts wander to the same question: Are we living for what truly matters? As I write this, I’m surrounded by people who are busy with their daily lives. One person may be worried about their child’s performance in school, while... Read more

Unclear: How Should Followers of Jesus Respond During Seasons Of Doubt?

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:22 pm By Guest Contributor

by Andrew Voigt “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.” – Mother Teresa If you are a follower of Jesus, how are we to respond to seasons of incredible doubt? If you are not a follower of Jesus, I would still encourage you to read this with an open heart. I struggle with the anxiety disorder called OCD. My journey of faith has been one of discovering... Read more

Pastors Endorsing Trump Have Cheapened their Prophetic Voice

Last updated on: April 20, 2016 at 1:33 pm By Guest Contributor

by Adam Nicholson Let it never be said that clergy have no duty to engage in politics. America has a proud history of pastors and theologians speaking truth to power, ending injustice, and protecting the vulnerable through responsible political activism. However, at their best, clergy always have only one foot in worldly politics. Even when they are speaking to civil concerns, it is informed by a focus on the heavenly kingdom. When pastors drop their eternal perspective, they endanger their flock by creating an... Read more

Who Can I Root For?

Last updated on: April 19, 2016 at 6:02 pm By Guest Contributor

by Austin Flanagan I love sports, and I always have. I enjoy playing them, and I also enjoy watching them. My wife often makes fun of me, saying that I skipped my childhood because I woke up on Saturday mornings to watch SportsCenter and not cartoons. Whether it’s college or the pros (or even your local high school), we sports fans have our favorite teams. As a native of north Texas, I grew up rooting for the Dallas Mavericks and... Read more