When I was in middle school, Starter Jackets were “mandatory.” It was simply “unacceptable” to be without a Starter Jacket. So you can imagine my alarm when I did not receive a Starter Jacket for Christmas in 7th grade. I had known since October that simply qualifying for the popularity contest was contingent on owning […]
ma·nip·u·late| məˈnipyəˌlāt | Handle or control, typically in a skillful manner. Control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly. pres·sure| ˈpreSHər | The use of persuasion, influence, or intimidation to make someone do something. Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal […]
We are surrounded by evidence of God’s authority and glory, but we choose to ignore or dismiss the signs. Take 30 seconds right now, and look up at the sky …do you see what’s happening? The sky is proclaiming the work of God’s hands (Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 40:26). Simply imagine the ocean for a moment […]
Here’s what you need to appreciate about Willy Wonka… He is a stronghold for the oppressed (Psalm 9:9). Willy prioritizes the redemption of persecuted peoples, like the Oompa-Loompas. The Oompa-Loompas faced terrible hardships and peril in Loompaland (nothing but thick jungles infested by the most dangerous beasts in the world – – – > hornswoggles […]
I have a strong inclination to protect the lambs of Jesus against prowling wolves who trick people into exchanging their identity in Christ for lesser things. I’m very concerned about the great harm that comes to people when they fixate on anything more than they fixate on the Word of God (a.k.a. Jesus of Nazareth […]
There is A LOT being written about abuse of power these days. I’m sad to say that the stories from Scripture below are hardly ever emphasized. They might be alluded to or mentioned, but typically they are not what we pour ourselves into. Jesus of Nazareth loved and cared for people best by insisting that […]
Jopsul was lazy and messy. Jopsul excused himself from hard work while expecting a lot from others. Jopsul was commanded and encouraged to work quietly and to earn his own living. Jospsul was told that if he rejected this command, the community would take note of him and have nothing to do with him, in […]
I recently got an internship with a big organization. This morning I sat in on a meeting with the leaders of the organization. The boss of the institution was getting reports from his leadership team, and one of the veteran department heads asked the boss a very awkward question… “Why have you done evil to […]
“He [Bilbo] used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. ‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,’ he used to say. ‘You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your […]
Y’all know Brandon Hawkes. He’s one of our favorites. He’s an amazing disc golfer, and his sincerity is palpable. Brandon recently asked me some questions about ECPC’s evangelism training program. In the course of our conversation, Brandon made the following observation, “It seems that many people are shouldering an unnecessary sense of personal deficiency and […]