Followers of Jesus are called to be salt and light to the world. We carry hope in our words and our deeds. Let us be like the early church and get into good trouble rather than headlines filled with our battles and failures. Good Trouble In Acts 17, Paul and Silas find themselves accused of causing chaos to the whole world. Day after day, they proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. And sick people were healed, blind people could... Read more
The last soil in the parable of the sower is the good soil. Jesus describes this soil as one that produces more than is expected. Jesus’s followers should expect their life and heart to reflect this bountiful harvest of good. Reaping and Sowing I have been going through the four different soils of the heart found in Matthew 13. If you have not read the first three soils, you can look back at my earlier posts. The last soil is... Read more
Image by Ashish Choudhary from Pixabay In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about sowing seeds. The seeds fall on different soils. These soils represent the heart’s spiritual condition, and your heart’s state will determine if you can hear God speak. This blog will focus on the third condition, the soil full of weeds and thorns. This is the third in a series on Matthew 13. You can read the first here. And the second one is here. Thorns Drain... Read more
Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about sowing seeds. The seeds fall on different soils. These soils represent the heart’s spiritual condition, and your heart’s state will determine if you can hear God speak. This blog will focus on the second condition, the shallow soil. This is the second in a series on Matthew 13. You can read the first here. Believe in Your Heart Jesus is using a common experience to explain a... Read more
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about sowing seeds. The seeds fall on different soils. These soils represent the heart’s spiritual condition, and your heart’s state will determine if you can hear God speak. This blog will focus on the first condition, the hardened path. Hard as a Rock Growing up in central Texas, I learned the difficulty of digging through rocky soil. I spent time with my dad using post-hole diggers to clear out the loose dirt, but... Read more
Image by Marisa Sias from Pixabay For the second entry in the “Books Pastors Should Read in 2023”, my pick is Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin. Seth is a successful author and expert in the field of marketing. Linchpin is not written from a theological standpoint, but the main argument applies to the world of the church, similarly to modern business. Seth argues that everyone should do their utmost to use their unique talents, skills, and knowledge in their work... Read more
My heart breaks when I read the beginning of the story of Saul in 1 Samuel. Saul experiences a tragedy-filled life because God’s people have decided they want an earthly king. He reigned over a kingdom torn apart by the competing desire to rule as king and submit to God as the true King. It is a stark warning that Christians in America would do well to contemplate. The Search for a King At first, Saul did not want... Read more
The paradox of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is that the empty tomb is the very thing that fills our souls. Humans have searched elsewhere and tried everything in an attempt to find satisfaction and have failed. The promises the world makes leave us thirsting for more and our desires unmet. The Not Yet The day between Jesus’ death and resurrection must have been terrible for the disciples. They all abandoned their friend at the first hint of trouble. Peter went even... Read more
I have looked at many pastoral job openings and read the job descriptions and requirements. I cannot recall one referencing being a professional foot washer. Yet Jesus taught his closest friends a key lesson in being a servant the night before His death. Servant Leader Jesus got up from the table, put on a towel, and began to wash the disciple’s feet. His act was one of service, reserved for servants or those with little prestige. The people held a... Read more
I ended my last post with the charge, “We must go and do.” If you genuinely want to change your heart to change the world, you have to start somewhere. The following list is not unique or new, but I need reminders throughout life’s craziness. Also, due to the nature of posting a blog online, I will be brief and not provide a long list of resources. If you would like further information, please see the information at the end... Read more
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