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My family chuckled during our little family Ash Wednesday gathering.  I told them Ash Wednesday reminds us that we sin and we're going to die. Or as I posted for a colleague who asked us to describe our job poorly, I said: I apply sacred soot and whisper existential truths.  They giggled because it didn't fit the mood we had been having. It had been a joyful day; we celebrated my son's finishing Basic Training and the first time we had been together in months. But those ashes were calling.  So, how's this for existential truths? I've already planned my funeral. It happened several years ago, one morning as I drove to church.  But one thing I haven't decided on for sure is whether to have someone sing Over the Rainbow either at the graveside or at the party that'll be planned for afterwards.  Do you hear that song as sad or hopeful?  I tend to hear the hopefulness in it. That's why it's a favorite song of mine. Well, certainly Eva Cassidy's cover ...

  Romans 1:8-17 Listen to today's devotional The letter to the Romans will get to some heavy matters of faith. But before all that, Paul reminds us of something we should not lose sight of along the way. He writes of his desire to see the church in Rome again, "so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. He is, of course, a spiritual giant to many people. But Paul also admits he needs the encouragement of others in his faith, too. Faith, for him, is not a solo climb but a shared strength. This last Ash Wednesday, our family gathered around a table at our Airbnb. The day's activities kept us from attending a service at a local congregation. So, all of us sat side by side, marked with the same cross of ash I quickly made. No one had a spiritual advantage from the barbecue ashes we had earlier. We were dust together. In the moment, I thought of the famous “pale blue dot” image, captured by NASA. From space, Earth is barely visible. It's a tiny speck b...

  1 Corinthians 1:4-9 Listen to today's devotional Before you ever wanted to walk with the Lord, God was already waiting for you. Now, that’s not a sentimental idea. That is an affirmation of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 1 says that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." You were called by God, not after you cleaned yourself up. Not after you figured out your theology or even got serious. You were called before your first prayer, before your first doubt, even before your first denial. God has been and was already faithful. We tend to tell our testimonies like we found God. Like we were spiritual explorers who finally stumbled into the right cave with the right treasure. But that's not the gospel. You didn’t initiate this relationship. You responded to it. You didn’t wake up one day and decide to pursue God. You woke up to the reality that God had been pursuing you all along. Doesn't that change the tone of discipl...

  Proverbs 28:22-27 Listen to today's devotional If you trust that God will take care of you, you have no right to be stingy. That's my attempt at a proverb to suggest that stinginess is not a budgeting strategy. It is a theology problem. Of course, there's responsible giving and generosity. But don't think we decide where that line is arbitrarily. We're influenced by our culture and the values we hold. For example, many people assume Jesus said literal things about hell, but was only figuratively speaking about riches. So, here's the theology problem. When I clutch what I have, I’m not protecting my resources. I’m revealing my fear. And fear is often just unbelief dressed in responsible clothing. If God is Provider, then why am I hoarding? If God is Shepherd, why am I grazing like there’s no next pasture? Stinginess says, “There won’t be enough.” Faith says, “There will be more where that came from.” But let’s go deeper. Because this isn’t just about money. It’...

  Proverbs 13:1-4 Listen to today's devotional “From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things…” (Proverbs 13:2). Let's consider how this proverb impacts our discipleship. You may be someone who has a problem with their "big mouth." You say things you don't want to, and what you say often makes what you're in even worse. For a moment, think of your mouth less as a megaphone and more as a garden. That makes every word you use a seed. Now, think about how culture often rewards rage and sarcasm. What is that really building these days? Sharp tongues earn followers, sure. But at what expense? Cynicism masquerades as wisdom but really only makes us feel more hopeless. The proverb, though, asks us to think about how our words don't just describe our world. They help shape it. That we don't just speak about our lives. We speak our lives into being. I don't mean that in a name-it-claim-it kind of way. This is not a nod to the prosperity gospel....

I'm pretty sure I've seen every video Harry Mack has put out on social media.  Fans of HM know there's one rule: Never skip a Harry Mack video.  I've added a second rule: Like whatever HM. video you're watching before it even finishes.  I don't know that I've ever heard him and thought, "Meh." He has an amazing skill. People regularly accuse him of using AI tools to fake his videos. But I've seen too much of his work to think any else other than he's incredibly gifted and has worked hard to master his craft. And I've seen a lot of people say that they don't like rap music, but are incredibly impressed by what he does.  I don't know how you wouldn't be. There have only been two celebrities I've ever wanted to meet. The first was Alyssa Milano--don't worry, Gloria knows. The second is Harry Mack. Most people wouldn't even consider him a celebrity. But if Harry ever comes to Corpus Christi, I have my three words rea...