Are We Putting the Bible in Its Place?

Last updated on: June 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

The church might be suffering from infoenza. The Bible, which chronicles God’s relationship with mankind, can easily become a substitute for relationship with God. Let’s be honest. The Bible is a real and tangible thing, where sometimes God is not. It’s not hard to understand why we would elevate biblical knowledge above any other spiritual indicator. Our weakness propels us to work harder at things others can see and appreciate. I can demonstrate my biblical knowledge in all sorts of Christian contexts... Read more

The Golden Rule: It’s the Law (and the Prophets)

Last updated on: June 20, 2014 at 5:28 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”—Jesus of Nazareth There are not many things I find more beautiful and difficult than the Sermon on the Mount. If any of us can read these words and not be shaken to the core, we’re either lying to ourselves or we don’t get it. One of Jesus’ most profound statements is what we now call the golden rule:... Read more

5 Things to Remember on Your Very Worst Day

Last updated on: June 18, 2014 at 12:14 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

The Holmes and Rahe stress scale lists the most stressful life situations in order of “life-change units.” These life-change units affect the chance that various events will negatively impact your health. At the top of the list with 100 units is “death of a spouse.” Here’s where it gets tricky. You might think that, if you’ve already walked through the hell of a top-tier stress, you now have the strength to endure everything below it on the list. But that’s just not true.... Read more

The Time Mr. Rogers Slapped Me Upside the Head

Last updated on: June 16, 2014 at 6:02 am By Jayson D. Bradley

Every time I’ve sat down to write a post in the last month, I’ve come up dry. I was thinking it must be writer’s block, but now I’m not so sure. There’s a quiet revolution happening in my heart and I’m only now beginning to see it for what is. Waging war to promote peace Evangelicalism’s been going through some changes. And frankly, it needs to. The social texture that birthed it has changed, and it can’t maintain a 1950’s posture towards... Read more

How the Rich Can Make Church a Safe Place for the Greedy

Last updated on: April 26, 2014 at 2:52 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

I read Dannah Gresh’s Charisma article How Women Can Make Church a Safe Place for Men and it really struck a chord. Her premise, which isn’t new, is that women need to remember the weaknesses in men and make church a safer place by being mindful about how they dress. This got me thinking: Wealthy people, quit making me covet! (more…) Read more

Before Sharing Your Religious Opinion on Facebook

Last updated on: April 24, 2014 at 6:46 am By Jayson D. Bradley

Abortion. Divorce. Homosexuality. Poverty. When you have a bunch of Christians in your Facebook news feed, you end up being privy to numerous, unsolicited discussions about explosive issues. Maybe it’s a meme or quote image about abortion or commentary on a current event, sometimes one can’t help posting an assertive update about a divisive topic. From there it takes off into a drawn out conceptual discussion from a bunch of different Christians—many of which speak strongly and definitively. Eight out of ten times... Read more

Making Room in Church for Your Ideological Enemies

Last updated on: April 21, 2014 at 7:54 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

If I had to put together 12 men who would follow me throughout my ministry, I would have chosen differently. I would have picked guys who had my back, who were respected, and most of all, who were on the same page. Not only does Jesus pick untried, untested, and mostly uneducated blue color workers, he intentionally picks guys who would have been at each other’s throats. Simon: the zealot (more…) Read more

Can You Drink This Cup? A Good Friday Responsive Reading

Last updated on: April 18, 2014 at 8:38 am By Jayson D. Bradley

I had to write a responsive reading for our Good Friday service. I thought I’d upload it in case anyone else wanted to use it. Speaker: Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works and redeem the world to himself. Will you join him in his mission? Congregation: We will join him. Speaker: Christ’s victory came at significant personal sacrifice and cost. Will you join him in his mission? (more…) Read more

An Open Letter to the church from the Church on Tithing

Last updated on: April 15, 2014 at 10:45 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

Dear church, You want us to tithe, and we can appreciate that. We’ve listened to your sermons, read your books, and understand all of the arguments for tithing as both a principle and a discipline. But there are a couple of things we feel the need to talk about: Tithing is hard for a lot of people, often for reasons you don’t completely know about. That’s okay. The fact that it’s difficult doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. In fact, sacrifice matters because it’s difficult. So in... Read more

Integrating Our Culturally Divided Churches

Last updated on: April 1, 2014 at 9:54 pm By Jayson D. Bradley

I can’t quite remember how Juan Lopez and I got to know each other. We were just suddenly online friends, and I’m pretty thankful. He’s a sincere and humble guy, a youth pastor in Bell Gardens, CA, a writer, an avid runner, and a family man. We were talking about the challenges English and Spanish churches have integrating, and Juan said, “Yeah, I could definitely write a post about that.” So I convinced him to do it here. You can follow him... Read more