Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus not only loves you unconditionally, but He also likes you? It’s one thing for Him to love you and give His life for you, but He also really likes you and enjoys spending time with you. We see this in an intimate conversation Jesus had with His disciples in John 14-17, especially one … [Read more...]
On Top of The Mountain
I have to level with you; there are few things cooler than standing on top of a mountain and looking down over creation. A few weeks ago our campus ministry hiked to the top of a mountain overlooking the New River Gorge in West Virginia. It was absolutely breathtaking. We often describe spiritual encounters with God … [Read more...]
Would Jesus Leave Room for Cream?
John 11 teaches us a lot about Jesus. And while it may not specifically answer whether Jesus would leave room for cream, it does paint a picture of Jesus and his Starbucks tribe, which in turns paints a picture of Jesus and us. John 11 is most famous for the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and for … [Read more...]
Would Jesus Leave Room for Cream?
Would Jesus leave room for cream? Picture yourself in a Starbucks, ordering coffee with Jesus. You place your order, Jesus places His order, and the barista asks Jesus if He’d like room for cream. What do you think He’d say? Actually, the answer to that question, which we’ll get to in a minute, isn’t as important as this: … [Read more...]
The Lost Art of Bible Memorization
I have been an observer, studier, ruminator and meditator of Scripture. I have seldom been a memorizer. It’s not out of any philosophical approach to learning Scripture that I’ve not made Bible memorization a staple of Bible disciplines. It’s more out of reasons that I think are common to most, namely, impatience. And these … [Read more...]
Own Our Own: Growing Up in Faith
As we grow up, we experience things that tell us we are doing just that—growing up. Harder school classes, more homework, driver’s license, weekend freedom and more responsibility. We have one more to add: taking ownership of our faith. Growing up in our faith involves taking the responsibility off of our parents and putting it … [Read more...]