Writing to Help You Find and Share the Hope of Jesus
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.Colossians 3:17 The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians is about growing up into maturity in Christ. Paul writes to encourage the Colossians to not get distracted or deceived by worldly … Continue reading Growing In Christ By Growing In Thankfulness
"...to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ."Colossians 2:2 A couple weeks ago I had one last meeting with a guy I’ve been meeting with almost weekly through ATLAS for the past few years. During that meeting he said, “I really thought I’d be … Continue reading God Makes Growth Possible … And Five Other Truths About Growing In Christ From Colossians 2
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.1 Timothy 6:18-19 Where sin compels us to say, “I need more and … Continue reading Tight Fists Can’t Grasp True Life
“[S]eek to show hospitality.”Romans 12:13 When my wife and I moved to South Dakota in 2004, I was not following Jesus. My wife Marie was really the only reason I went to church then. At Marie’s prompting, we visited church after church. We would slip in and out each Sunday without anyone ever really engaging … Continue reading Compelled To Welcome: Hospitality And The Great Commission
For the past five years, I’ve deeply enjoyed helping men try to discern what God is up to in their lives through the mentoring ministry of ATLAS of West Central Minnesota. But the past few years I’ve also been learning from my own mentors as I’ve been discerning a call toward pastoral ministry. I’ve had … Continue reading Life Update: Our Family’s Upcoming Transition
I’ve talked to many people who are intimidated by the name “mentoring.” They don’t feel like they’re knowledgeable enough, experienced enough, or mature enough, to be a mentor. So instead of seeing that as a reason to step out of their comfort zone and grow, they instead use it as an excuse to remain where … Continue reading Mentoring. Discipling. Don’t Let The Name Scare You
My girls love big stories. Like me, they love to read and watch epic adventures. Their first taste of big stories came from Veggie Tales, which was then followed by Pixar’s Cars. As we emerged from the Cars phase (and let me tell you, this was a significant phase at our house), we discovered The … Continue reading Great Stories For The Greatest Story: My Most Frequent Prayer for My Daughters
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.Psalm 25:9 When Christians think of the Great Commission, hopefully the phrase “make disciples” comes to mind. (Matt 28:19-20) We obey the Great Commission when we make disciples - baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and … Continue reading Want To Make Disciples? Consider First How To Be Discipled
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?1 John 3:17 Prior to joining the staff at ATLAS of West Central Minnesota, I worked for another nonprofit managing homeless assistance programs. When trying to help an individual or … Continue reading The Gap Between Your Church And Your Community And The Only Way To Overcome It
"But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one."2 Thessalonians 3:3 In C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian, Peter, Edward, Susan, and Lucy returned to Narnia for the first time since their adventure in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, only to find Narnia being ruled by an evil … Continue reading Faithful ≠ Predictable
A Thrill of Hope 