Writing to Help You Find and Share the Hope of Jesus
Pray without ceasing1 Thessalonians 5:17 When my family and I moved back to Minnesota from South Dakota in 2012, we were searching for a house and there was one my wife Marie and I liked but wasn’t on the market yet. Our realtor knew the owners were thinking about listing it though, so she showed … Continue reading In Every Season – Pray
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Colossians 1:13-14 NOTE: This post was adapted from a sermon I shared for The Fortress's weekly gathering at Harvest Church on June 16, 2021. In Marvel’s … Continue reading The Awe That Only Rescue Can Bring
[E]quip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”Ephesians 4:12 If you ask my two pre-teen daughters what my most frequent “Dadism” is, they’d probably tell you it’s, “You need to learn to cut your own pancakes.” This is my go-to line whenever they expect mom or dad to … Continue reading “Learn To Cut Your Own Pancakes”: The Forgotten Priority of Equipping
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kindsJames 1:2 There are many ways Jesus has called his followers to live differently than the rest of the world. Just a few examples include: Live holy lives as our Father in heaven is holy (Matt. 5:48, 1 Peter 1:15), Live for God’s … Continue reading From Facts in Our Heads to Treasure in Our Hearts: God’s Joy-Producing Work In Our Trials
The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.Proverbs 15:8 Ephesians 5:10 has an important command for those who are following Jesus. It calls us to "discern what is pleasing to the Lord," with the point being that we would then do what pleases him. One thing God … Continue reading “He Likes To Be Asked”: God Is Pleased By Your Prayer
As the school year ends, my daughter Kayla is finishing up her first year of playing clarinet in her school band. Playing clarinet quickly became one of her favorite things this year. She learned and improved so fast over the year, which we were very thankful for given some of those first practices at home … Continue reading Learning in Layers: What School Band Teaches Us About Growing As Disciples
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”Matthew 7:14 (KJV) My family and I recently returned from a vacation to visit family in western North Carolina. Coming from west central Minnesota where our roads are wide and straight, the narrow, winding mountain … Continue reading Straight Methods, Narrow Message
In a previous career, I worked with historic property owners who were looking to restore and maintain their historic buildings. This meant I got a lot of behind-the-scenes tours in many cool, unique old buildings. Occasionally, I’d visit a building that looked fine at distance from the outside. But once I got up close and … Continue reading Self-Sought Holiness Always Crumbles
And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.1 Thessalonians 3:12 At our ATLAS Mentor Workshops, we spend a fair amount of time talking about what motivates us to make disciples through mentoring relationships. If we’re firmly rooted in the … Continue reading Mentoring: Harnessing God’s Overflowing Love
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”Revelation 5:12 John the Baptist says to the priests and Levites in John 1:26-27, “[A]mong you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I … Continue reading The Worthiness Of Jesus Lived Out For The Unworthy
A Thrill of Hope 