I woke up this morning with an urge to grumble against a friend. My flesh was eager to go with the urge, but The Holy Spirit hijacked the impulse and turned it into a burden to intercede. While praying for my friend, God mercifully made me aware of the unhappiness of harboring contempt, and the […]
I am a fan of The Rabbit Room (thank you Corndawg for introducing me to TRR!). Their mission is to make things good, beautiful, and lasting, and I see (and have often been the recipient of) the humans of ECPC striving and struggling in this mission as well. I want to pastor you toward the […]
Good morning faithful blog readers! I hope you are finding it impossible not to be enthralled with your Maker this week; and I hope that you are finding it impossible to avoid repenting of your personal, specific, and substantive errors and blunders …and having thoroughly wrestled against your own selfishness and against the rulers, authorities, […]
Picture a person with unsurpassed supremacy and influence. You overhear this person conversing with someone else, and they make mention of YOU! It is odd to hear your name upon lips as formidable as this, but it’s unmistakably true – he is talking about you. The unparalleled renown of this person would cause you to […]
Why do I choose anger over lamentation? Anger feels powerful. Anger promotes the lie of transcendence over limitations. Anger creates the sensation that I am “in control.” Lamentation on the other hand, feels powerless. Lamentation tells me to accept my limitations. Lamentation situates me in sorrow amidst calamity AND sorrow over the arrogant cancer of […]
Last week I was reading the Maker’s book. He mentioned something very important, and I thought, “This is important! I must never forget this!” And I resolved to always remember what the Maker had said. After my time in the Maker’s book, I decided to mow the lawn. About 20 minutes into mowing the lawn […]
There is a family in Durham NC who shows hospitality to trusted friends (Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9) AND strangers as well (Heb. 13:2)! One of these strangers decided to abuse the privilege of being so liberally and lovingly welcomed by breaking into this family’s home and ransacking their property. Some trusted friends said, “Well, […]
Imagine you’re an adviser to the king of Iran. You glean your insights, and get your news, from the stars. One day an unusual star broadcasts the arrival of a Jewish king (the King of kings!). So you take a leave of absence from serving the king of Iran, and you pack up your treasures […]
When I was a young lad my dad took me to a Kansas City Royals baseball game. Now the question is, “Was this an enjoyable experience?” Well, let’s think about this for a moment. It would be extraordinarily difficult for a child to enjoy a major league ballgame if he was expected to navigate the […]
Sometimes joy seems impertinent. Once upon a time there was a king who wished to transport something infinitely powerful, and exceedingly lethal to mortals. The king failed to adhere to, and abide by, the particular protocol necessary to ensure the safety of the community while moving the mortally perilous object. The negligence of the king […]