Christian Living
The Purchased & Plundered Self
PROTECTING SELF As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down […]
Book Rec.
I was lead climbing with AK 2 weeks ago and he asked me, “Have you read the book How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key?” I said, “Luke Fawcett told me about HSC awhile back, and I devoured two of his memoirs! I especially enjoyed The World’s Largest Man (the memoir about his dad). […]
Eat This Book
I was recently chatting with Maria Frey about our buddy Eugene. We were specifically talking about Eugene’s good pastoral work in leading us to personally wrestle with God’s Word by forcing ourselves to paraphrase what God has told us (putting it into our own words) not in order to change what God said to accommodate […]
How Joy Works
Joy comes from looking at Jesus [Looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. *Hebrews 12:2]Joy comes from desperately depending upon Jesus [For thus says the […]
Painstaking Pleasure of People
People are like bouldering problems (i.e. the pleasure to be found in persons and community is discovered via painstaking perseverance, patient problem-solving, and joyfully partnering with others [2 Corinthians 1:24]). Some bouldering problems I can interact with and enjoy easily, immediately, and progressively. Like “The Blatant Secret” at Love Valley (if you’re interested in knowing […]
Complaining To Jesus
Once upon a time a dude came to Jesus to have Him settle an inheritance dispute with his brother. Of course we’re all assuming that Jesus will weigh-in on this matter! Of course Jesus will stop whatever else He is doing, and make this His top priority! Because this is a very big deal! A […]
The True & Vehement Understanding of Holiness
Gather up a sundry batch of sinners (Nehemiah 8:1). Read them the Bible (Nehemiah 8:3). Everyone is super attentive (see Acts 17:11; Nehemiah 8:5). Everyone begs for the soul food of Scripture (see Matthew 4:4; Nehemiah 8:6). Utilize people like Eugene Peterson, Fred Buechner, C.S. Lewis, Robert Farrar Capon, Dr. Steve Brown, J.R.R. Tolkien, Flannery […]
Ted Lasso, Accountability, & Forgiveness
The Ninevites were really bad! They were steeped in dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and their men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for […]
Working With The Persian Government
Once upon a time the LORD stirred up the spirit of the Persian potentate. The President of Persia (a distant predecessor of Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati) zealously decided to wholistically finance and endorse the agenda of the Maker whose ways are radically different than our ways. The Persian President delightedly deferred to the only true & […]