Christian Living

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Realize I Don’t Want To Be A Miser

by Tyler Dirks

You are obsessed with something, and you always over-spend on your obsession. Examples: golf, your home, food, entertainment, your kids, your image, your hobbies, etc. Once upon a time The Boss of everyone sat down to watch people tithing. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow put in two small copper […]

How Do I Grow In Faith?

by Tyler Dirks

Yesterday I devoted myself to gathering with a group of humans at a title 1 elementary school in East Charlotte. A man named Jon asked the group, “How do you grow in faith?” A fanatical man named Paul (a guy who wrote a bunch of letters a long time ago) says that faith does not […]

Liturgies for Labors & Vocation

by Tyler Dirks

O Christ who supplies my every need, I praise You for all provisions and for the means by which they are provided. For my current employment, in this season of life, I give You thanks. By it, may I meet my own needs and contribute to the needs of others. Let me work and serve […]

Every Moment Holy

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]

The Joy Of Him In Us

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]

Joy Loves Limits Part II: Lamentation vs. Anger

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]

The Joy of Remembering

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]

Joy Accepts Affliction

by Tyler Dirks

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, […]

Joy Loves Limits

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]

Brazen Courageous Joy

by Tyler Dirks

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 […]