Just a Thought

If fasting clears the noise and simplicity anchors the heart, prayer is the ongoing conversation that keeps us connected to the Vine. In the final part of our series, we are diving deep into the heartbeat of spiritual life: Prayer . We often think of prayer as a slot on our calendar, but it’s meant to be the atmosphere we breathe. In this episode, we talk about two powerful dimensions of communica...

We live in a world that constantly tells us to consume more, do more, and be more. But what if the secret to a deeper spiritual life isn't adding anything at all? It’s clearing the clutter. In our latest episode, we dive into the beautiful, counter-cultural disciplines of Fasting and Simplicity: Fasting isn't just about giving something up; it’s the intentional removal of distractions so w...

Ever notice how naturally we hype up the things we love? A good meal, a great movie, a sports team... we are literally hardwired to praise. We were made to worship. But when we substitute God for things that were never meant to carry the weight of our devotion, we end up empty. In this week's episode, we break down worship as a daily, life-giving spiritual discipline that centers our souls. #S...

If your Bible reading feels like checking a box, you might be missing the point. There is a massive difference between reading the Word for information and meditating on the Word for transformation. One is a task; the other is a relationship. In this week's episode, we're breaking down the discipline of meditation. No gimmicks, no deep-breathing exercises—just pure focus on what God has al...

Somewhere along the way, we started dividing our lives into "spiritual" boxes and "worldly" boxes. In this episode, we tackle how church culture has actually driven this wedge deeper by sweeping tough subjects under the rug. When we refuse to talk about the messy, real parts of human existence, we imply that Christ doesn't belong there. But true faith isn't compartmenta...

I think there are two ways to think about praying constantly. First, understand what Paul is really saying. The second is to redeem our thoughts and take them captive. We can also just be quiet and see if God wants to speak.

It’s easy to love people in theory. It’s a lot harder in practice. In Part Two of our new series, we’re looking at the three toughest arenas for love: Ourselves. (Do you actually treat yourself with kindness?) Our Enemies. (What does love look like when there’s no common ground?) Our Families. (Do the people under your roof get your best grace, or just your leftovers?) This week’s episode is a gut...

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." We hear it all the time, but how often do we actually do it? Often, we give God our "leftover" heart or our "distracted" mind. In Part One of our new series, we’re diving deep into the Greatest Commandment. It’s the foundation for everything else we do. If the vertical relationship isn't right, the hori...

This is a popular saying, and while not a question, it does bring up a lot of questions. Do we know what we mean when we say this? Does our practical theology match our proposed theology? Today we dive in and look at 5 things we might beleive when we say, Everything Happens for a Reason

The question of the day is: If the Bible is true, then why are there so many denominations, and which one is right? Let's jump into preference, hermeneutics, and a rephrasing of that question.

A quick word on ridiculous kindness and reckless love.

Why do we run from our enemies when God wants to prepare a table in their presence?

People sometimes ask me “What’s your life verse?” And the truth is I do not have one. Maybe it’s a personality thing, maybe it is because I change translations so much that I have a hard time memorizing verses but I just don’t have one. I do love and have a few principles and frameworks. 

This week we address Church Hurt in what might be a different way.

There is a lot that can be said about the 10 Commandments. Today I want to look at them a little differently. 1 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt  2 You shall have no other Gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.  3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 4 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy. 5 Honor your father and mother. 6 Thou...

What is the call? I think the call is reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. That means there is more to the call than first thought.

Facts are facts but facts are not always aligned with faith. In Numbers 13 Moses sends spies to check out the promised land by God's command. This is the land the people had been waiting 400 years to enter. This was finally the fulfillment of the promise of God. All they had to do was go in. But when the spies returned, they returned with such a negative report that the congregation cried loud...

Peter in the Book of Acts chapter 1 and Peter in the Book of Acts chapter 2 are different people with different focuses and desires.

I have been reading and thinking about Romans 8 and specifically 8:28 a fair amount lately and I cannot help but think that God and I have different definitions of the word Good. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Yes the title is from one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes but more importantly it is a reminder that Jesus hears the Song of our Sadness and can understand our pain.

A lot of people myself included either beat themselves up or have beaten themselves up because they still fall short. Somehow we have this idea that because we have Jesus and are found in Christ that we should be sinless when really we should be more concerned about sinning less (a little wordplay).

Solomon was considered the wisest of all, but Jesus is greater. His wisdom is beyond. Jesus is the wisdom of God.

The people demand a sign from Jesus, but He has already done many signs before this. What more could these people want? What does Jesus want?

The Pharisees are mad at Jesus and His disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus responds that something greater than the Temple is here. What does He mean by this? I think this speaks to His lordship over the religion that is devoted to Him.

This week are kind of talking about demons. I say kind of because we have some thoughts and questions from a friend who was reading through Luke 8 and the story of the demon-possessed man and what Jesus did.