Gospel Wabi Sabi: Good News For Imperfect People

The Squeeze! Have you ever felt the squeeze? All three of Jesus’ parables in Luke 15 end with a squeeze. The shepherd with his arms around the lost sheep; the widow clutching the lost coin in her hand; the father giving the lost son a bear hug. All of these are illustrations of how God feels about you! Find out more in the latest episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi. 

The wayward son made two good decisions. (1) To regret the ways he went off track, and (2) that he should return to his father. Many people awaken to regret - and get stuck there. They don't take the next step - to return. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

“There’s got to be more.”  The “prodigal” son is on a journey to discover where real satisfaction in life comes from. It’s not an easy trip and there are some unexpected curve balls along the way. Let’s focus in on one of Jesus’ most famous stories in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi. 

Anxiety stems from wanting to control results, to control what’s going to happen – to us, to our children, to our friends, to our circumstances. And yet we know there is so much of life that we can’t  control. Anxiety is what fills the gap between what we want to control and what is beyond our control. See how Jesus flips that script in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi. 

Does prayer really operate like a cosmic pyramid scheme – the more people who pray, the more likely the answer? If not then what is the meaning of intercessory prayer? And why does Jesus prize persistence in our prayers? Explore these questions in this podcast episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi. 

Forgiveness is what sets you free from the power of the evil done to you. Whatever it was, it no longer controls your thoughts and actions. Jesus has a better way for you to live. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Just as the Israelites received a DAILY supply of manna in the wilderness, we need a daily encounter with Christ and the spiritual nourishment of his Spirit. Explore the connection between food and faith in this episdoe of Gospel Wabi Sabi. 

Praying “Your Kingdom come!” is a dangerous prayer. It means you are joing a rebellion against the way of the world and enlisting in Christ’s service. Are you ready for Him to rule absolutely over your life? Find out more in this week’s podcast from Gospel Wabi Sabi.

The disciples saw a connection between Jesus’ private life of prayer and his public powerful ministry. No wonder they wanted to learn from him. But what Jesus taught them about prayer was unprecedented and sets Jesus apart from all other religious teachers. One word makes all the difference. Find out what that word is in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Be still. Once we’re saved by grace, we need to live by grace; and we do that by giving Christ space in our daily schedule. We need a daily rhythm to be with God to be in his presence and pray and listen. Find out more is this episode of gospel Wabi Sabi.

Many people think the story of Mary and Martha is about being too busy for God. How Martha is obsessing over her hospitality, and Mary, the calm one, gets it right by listening to Jesus while the dishes pile up in the sink. Well, I don’t think that’s the main point of this story. I don’t think that’s how the original hearers heard this story. No. Something else is going on. Something deeply signif...

If the purpose of Christ’s birth was to bring “peace on Earth” then we would have to say Jesus was a total failure. There is more violence in the world today than ever before. So, what did the angels mean when they announced Jesus birth to the shepherds? Find out in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Who got a front row seat and a backstage pass to the greatest moment in history? A few dirty shepherds smothered in sheep-stink. Sounds like a Wabi Sabi thing to me. Check out this podcast episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Mary couldn't keep in it bottled up inside. She had to let it out! Through a song, a story she told about God's power, God's holiness, God's mercy would be revealed in her soon to be born baby. Let her song inspire you through this episode of Gospel Wabi Wabi.

Good stories usually roll out in threes.: “A priest, a rabbi, and a Baptist minister walk into a bar…” The Parable of the Good Samaritan rolls out almost exactly like a joke with three characters but the meaning of the parable is not what you think. It’s not about being good to strangers and showing mercy to victims. That’s too conventional. Jesus was actually saying something much more shocking....

Jesus is launching his start-up, something that had never existed before. In this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi I explore the kind of people he was looking for to join his venture, and the process he used to make them successful: Parabolic Harmonious Oscillation.

It is serious business to say you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus had high expectations for those who were his disciples because it’s not just a transfer of knowledge but an intimacy of relationship; a life of personal surrender and sacrificial action. A person does not become a believer and then at some point down the road become a disciple of Christ. Discipleship is not a call to some high...

We can't nest on the crest! We have to come down off the mountaintop and face the problems in the valley. But we don't walk alone. See how Jesus goes with us into the frustrations of our world, and helps us sort out our emotions in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

When faced with an impossible task the disciples learned a very important lesson: Don’t let your problems become bigger than your God. God takes what we offer and he multiplies it. So, each day just give him what you have. Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

There's no better passage in all of the Gospels that illustrates what I am hope to accomplish in this podcast: to show how magnificent Jesus is in protecting and honoring the value of broken people, people who are in need, people who are desperate for God. Take a listen to this week's episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

There are too many evil things in this world that can't be explained away by medical terms like psychology or pathology, or economic/sociological terms like dysfunctional or disadvantaged. What happens when we encounter real evil? Jesus shows his power. That's what we see in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

God is sending out his message of grace all the time. The problem is on our end. Are we listening? Are our senses tuned/trained to receive what God is saying? Jesus puts the responsibility for recognizing God’s voice squarely on us. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Find out more in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi. Are you listening?

Jesus tells a story about four types of soil and how receptive the soils are to the Word of God. But on a deeper level it’s a parable about the generous love of God. The farmer sows the seed to all soils with equal hope and generosity. God casts the seed everywhere without evaluation of the soil’s current quality. No ground is underserving of the sower’s seed. If your life is filled with thorns, r...

The Author has authority. Jesus demonstrates his unparalleled love, power and authority as he meets someone at their point of deepest need. Could he do the same for you? Explore that possibility in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

The wise and foolish builders. Maybe you don’t know this story as much as you think you do. Check it out in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.