The Unbroken Ground

Your life matters. What you do with your life is important. Do people see Jesus when they watch you live? Does the dust of Jesus rest on your clothes? Or do you simply have a get-out-of-hell-free card you hold on to until you die?    Other ways to interact with and find more content I produce: Called Out • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters Unbroken Ground - Exploration of Christ, Community, and...

This one is a bit whimsical, as I consider the political repercussions of a government that tries to live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Could a government truly love its enemies? How does a government store its treasures in heaven? We all have a kingdom (even if it is just within our hearts) that we must submit to the rule of Jesus or go our own way. Who rules your heart? Other way...

It's risky to love your enemies. If you lived your life looking for ways to continue to multiply and fill it with the fruit of the Spirit, you risk being hurt, taken advantage of, or missing out on earthly gain. Jesus tells us that we will be known by the fruit of our lives. What kind of fruit are you producing?   Other ways to interact with and find more content I produce: Called Out • A podcast...

Has Christianity changed since Jesus died on the cross? There has been a lot of disdain for using progressive to describe Christianity, claiming that Christianity is the same, never changing. While the Bible clearly says Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, the book of Acts shows how the church wrestled with what it meant to follow Jesus. Peter (who walked with Jesus) had to be correc...

Are you living the hard times right now? Keep your head up, it will change. Living the good times, keep your heart humble because you are promised struggle. This too shall pass, but foundationally as followers of Jesus, we can rejoice, because we know He is always about the kingdom work of redemption. Where He touches and moves, He brings new life and renewal.    Other ways to interact with and fi...

Do you like asking questions? Jesus was asked many questions as he walked with and taught his followers. Jesus used questions as a way to teach. But many are suspicious of questions. We have more access to information than at any other time in history, but studies show we aren't more knowledgeable. Rather, we have doubled down on our conviction that we solely hold the truth. We have lost our abili...

When we look back we can better see the blessings of God and how He is always working behind the scenes. Like Peter, who steps out of the boat and walks on water for a moment, we all need reminders that we can do this. And we should keep going, even farther than we first believed or thought was possible.    Other ways to interact with and find more content I produce: Called Out • A podcast on Spot...

Are you called out? Set apart? Is your life any different than your neighbors? Community must continue to be chased and culture must continually be shaped. What skills are you passing on to your children or young people to evaluate culture? It is hard to be different. Different can make you vulnerable and lead to isolation. But what if God is calling all believers to be different? Following Jesus...

Walking alongside others, especially youth, in ministry one of the most common topics is God's love. As humans hoping to connect with a spiritual being in God, we find it hard to believe that God loves us. We hear God loves us unconditionally, but do we believe it? We see how hard it is to make relationships work among humans, and we convince ourselves it must be that hard between us and God. Not...

What is so wrong with getting old? American Culture is built around staying young, healthy, and beautiful for as long as you can. But in God's kingdom, it is those peopl who have lived lives for decades as they chase after God that have great honor. How can our communities reclaim the prestige of being old? We live in such a time where generations are purposefully pitted against each other. How do...

Who is in your community? Despite our many efforts to make following Jesus about a singular, personal experience - it just doesn't work that way. Much of the Bible is written to groups of people or communities. Even the most singular verses have the background and understanding that they are to be lived out in a community of people. So who are you intentionally following as an apprentice to Jesus?...

Is it better if God allows suffering versus actively causing it? Should God remove all suffering from my life? My finite brain and limited understanding are no match when thinking about how the world "could be." God is the good Father at work, bringing situations around for our good and His glory. 

Part two of the two-part episode.  Does God want me to suffer? Does Jesus say anything about suffering? What conclusions can we make about life and what to expect in life? 

Does God want or enjoy it when I suffer? Is there a clear explanation in the Bible for why suffering exists? In part one, I will discuss issues highlighted in the OT Book of Job and questions that have existed for centuries. 

I'm just going to come out and admit it. The theology of God's love being reckless doesn't bother me. Mostly because we are trying to use human words and experiences to define a mysterious spiritual being. God reveals so much to us, but our knowledge and understanding barely scratch the surface. So listen in as I list three things about God's love that seem reckless from the human standpoint. Don'...

People walking through difficult parts of life make us uncomfortable. We don't know what to say or how to help. Does your community (church or otherwise) welcome the hard-to-love, to explain, to-find answers? How can you learn how to welcome those people into your life?

I would guess that more people like to think of themselves as in charge of their lives than to believe they are out of control. But with God, there must always be room for mystery. How we think about God, and what we think about God should shape how we live. How much mystery do you embrace in your walk with God?

Nope, not about about that book. Is God good? Is He Great? Is there a difference? What and how we think about God is super important, and should shape how we live our lives. So join me as I walk through some of the themes of God's greatness and goodness. 

Is a lack of faith causing you to have struggles? Or are your struggles how God is strengthening your faith?

Take a breath. Be still. Take a moment and enjoy sitting with Jesus. 

What do you do if you are in the spiritual season of winter? I use Mark Buchanan's book "Spiritual Rhythm" as a guide on what to do when everything seems dead or dying.  Check out the book here, Books | Mark Buchanan

As promised from last week's podcast, this is about the day between Jesus' death and resurrection. How did the disciples feel? How did they cope? What do we do when we are faced with loss and death? What if God has built a physical and spiritual changing of seasons into the world? Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall but for your everyday life. What should you do when you find yourself experiencing or...

Happy Easter! This one delves a little bit more into the theology side of things. But if you don't know why Jesus' death and resurrection were important (other than being told that at church), this may answer some of your questions. I hope it answers more than it creates anyway! 

A short reflection on this Palm Sunday. 

Is it time to clean all the cobwebs out of your heart? I talk through using the Lord's prayer as a guide for spring cleaning. I also blogged about it on Patheos.com .     You can follow my blog at Unbroken Ground - Exploration of Christ, Community, and Creativity (patheos.com) .