The New Testament is not just ancient history—it’s an open and living invitation to be part of a story. To read the New Testament rightly is to hear a knock on the door of your own life, calling you to step into the ongoing story of God’s kingdom as it breaks in, sets up God’s rule and reign, and destroys outposts of darkness. The New Testament tells the story of a nucleus of radical followers of Jesus, forming simple yet... Read more
When I was growing up, the Lord’s Table—also called communion, the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper—often felt more like a tradition to observe or a ritual to endure than something revolutionary. Even after I returned to the church following a season of spiritual searching, I found beauty in the practice, but I wouldn’t have called it otherworldly. Over the years, I have come to see this simple moment as profoundly significant. The Lord’s Table tethers us—not just to the story... Read more
God has created us as emotional beings. Therefore, it is normal to experience and express emotions. Jesus himself “wept” (John 11:35). In fact, all of us will face many different emotions throughout the day. Some will be good, and others bad. The writer of Ecclesiastes remarks that for all of humanity there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4, NIV). Tears, laughter, mourning, and dancing are... Read more
If you’re trying to choose the right Bible translation for your life and ministry, Bible Translations for Everyone by Tim Wildsmith offers a clear, practical guide—and this post reviews not only why it’s a resource worth having, but I also try to share five key takeaways to help you make informed and intentional choices about your Bible reading and teaching. Released in 2024 by Zondervan Reflective, Bible Translations for Everyone by Tim Wildsmith serves as a practical guide to finding... Read more
I earned a Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry in 2020 and a Master of Arts in Global Leadership in 2023 from Fuller Theological Seminary. Without a doubt, Fuller Seminary has been like family to me and represents one of the most formative seasons of my life. As a double graduate of Fuller Seminary and the Alumni Regional Contact for the Southeastern Pennsylvania area, I have a deep, vested interest in how Fuller Seminary was going to respond to... Read more
In the same way that rails dictate where a train goes, our habits become grooves that often unconsciously dictate what we do and where we go. All of us have habits. Not all of our habits are good. Not all of them are patterns in our lives that we are conscious of, but each of us runs on a default rail system that shapes us daily. It may even be that our routines and habits become the biggest influence on... Read more
In 1983, Todd Rundgren released a forever-remembered single that energetically declared, “I don’t want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day.” This song has been used by football teams, talk show hosts, video games, commercials, movies, and in a popular episode of The Office TV show. It is a song that resonates with many of us when Monday rolls around, and perhaps Tuesday, and Wednesday. In 2007, pop punk band, The Frantics, released a song called... Read more
This is a review of Committing to One Another: Church Membership by Bobby Jamieson, with editorial contributions from Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman, which is part of the Healthy Church Study Guides series from 9Marks and Crossway Publishing (Wheaton, IL). Released in 2012, this small group study guide is designed for use in congregational settings and includes discussion questions and teaching notes for leaders. The resource notes, “These study guides are mainly driven by observation, interpretation, and application questions, so... Read more
“My cleats fell apart,” my daughter shouted as we approached the front door of our house, about to leave for the second game of her softball tournament. Game one had ended in a 19–0 loss, so emotions were already running thin. We were pushing our kids hard to get out the door on time for game two. Now, her cleat had quite literally come unglued—the sole of the heels of her cleats were now in her hand and somehow were... Read more
To lead a quiet life (the focus of this Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos), we must not only learn to slow down, but we must also learn what it means to be still with God in a way that we are dependent on and sustained by God. That kind of quiet, rooted living that I am learning to discover, and inviting you along for, comes from a constant state of realizing how we are being held by... Read more
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