Wayfarer

In my thoughts, words, actions, and relationships, I don’t want to mindlessly be just another example of how the world works. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 27. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I think of Jesus’ death and resurrection much like graduation in our culture. It is a rite of passage out of childhood and into spiritual adulthood. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 26. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In each of the three parables of today’s chapter, there is a final reckoning. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 25. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Just last week I celebrated my 59th birthday. That mean’s I’ve entered my 60th lap around the sun. And, that has me thinking about what’s out there on the horizon. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 24. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I don’t control large, complex human systems of government and religion, though I have tremendous influence on the small human systems of family, business, and local community. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 23. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

For me, the most powerful spiritual lesson in today’s chapter is not under the microscope but in the wide-angle lens. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 22. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

In today’s chapter,  the crowd  plays a significant role. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 21. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Today, I complete my 59th lap around the sun. In the quiet I hear God’s Spirit whisper to my spirit the same question He asked of the wife of Zebedee. The same question He asked the two blind men. “Happy birthday, Tom. What do you want me to do for you?" A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 20. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

History has dubbed the young man in today’s chapter as the “rich young ruler,” but I think “eagle scout” is a more apt moniker. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 19. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Sometimes the traditional, yet out-of-date, wording of famous passages like The Lord’s Prayer are like a comfy old sweatshirt that wraps you in the warmth and comfort of something familiar which has been with you and seen you through long stretches of life’s journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 18. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Mountains are yet another metaphorical theme that runs throughout the Great Story in ways I've never seen or understood until now. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 17. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my chapter-a-day journey over the years, I’ve learned that spiritual lessons are found in Jesus’ actions as well as His words. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 16. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

In the quiet this morning, I love the fact that Jesus poked the big dogs from Jerusalem regarding their rabid hypocrisy when it came to their traditions. Less than a week after Good Friday, I’m equally reminded that these same rabid, big dogs will quite literally  kill Him for it . A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 15. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

It was a simple enough question. There are so many things in life that we do because they are habitual or traditional. We rarely stop to ask “Why?" A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 14. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The difference between the 25% of seeds that became productive and fruitful plants in Jesus’ parable and the 75% of seeds who didn’t make it was the  quality of the soil . A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 13. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

My heart is heavy and sad this morning. I have recently found myself in the midst of many conflicts. I don’t like conflict. I confess that I don’t do it particularly well. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 12. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In the quiet this morning, I find myself thinking about the spiritual  posture  that Jesus is asking of John. It is a kneeling, open, and surrendered posture. It is the same that He has demanded of His disciples and anyone else who would follow, including me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 11. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I’ve learned along my life journey that sometimes one has to do something novel in order to “cut in” during a deep-seated cultural dance. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 10. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I long ago took off my Junior Holy Spirit badge pretending that I had exclusive rights, insight, or editorial control of the Story God is authoring in me or anyone else. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

While I was in high school, a spiritual revival broke out. I and my friends in our holy huddle had nothing to do with it. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

It is only later in life that I have learned to recognize one of my patterns of behavior. The truth is that I am, at the heart of things, a wallflower. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 7. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

When our friend Nathan was entering adolescence, I read a review in the Wall Street Journal  of a clever little book of etiquette for boys by Meghan Doherty called  How Not to Be a Dick . We gifted it to our young friend. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

One of the observations I’ve had of recent generations is the difficulty they’ve experienced in maturing into adults. So much so that “adulting” is now a common term. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It is the season of Lent, a time when many followers of Jesus around the globe choose to  fast  in preparation for the annual memorial of Jesus’ death and subsequent celebration of His resurrection. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 4. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

We live in very unique times. In fact, I believe that we are in one of the most tectonic shifts in the history of Christianity. It is, perhaps,  the  most significant shift since the Reformation. A chapter-a-day podcast from Matthew 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .