I'm convinced a lot of what keeps Christians from reading the Bible is their reading habits. So, maybe we can think of reading as a spiritual discipline. Oh, wait. We don't like spiritual disciplines either 😬Maybe we need an adult version of Reading Rainbow!This was our 122nd episode.   Stay blessed...j...

 All the peoplePsalm 15Love of God and love of neighbor go hand in hand. The two ideas are different, but in a very real sense the same. John called anyone a liar who says they love God while hating a brother (1 John 4:20). If you want to know how deep your love of God is, look beyond church attendance. You don't have to track your minutes prayed or how many times you've opened the Bible. Look to those around you. How have you loved them?Many of us wrongly...

 Against the grainExodus 32:1-6My church's leadership group is reading a book together. It's called 8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches. We've begun to reflect on the authors' observations, which stem from their experiences with several growing churches. The first observation is that rapidly growing churches "believe in miracles and act accordingly."Notice the two parts of that observation.First, many Christians would affirm the reality of miracles....

Our church has been studying the Psalms. So, coming across this video was perfect timing. Unfortunately, I've never been part of a church that regularly sang the psalms. A lot of people have never considered the psalms were meant to be sung. We miss an opportunity to digest these worships words when we loose them from music.  And check out this resource: Sing the Psalms. You might find a tune that will help you better learn and appreciate your favorite...

 Clean up1 Kings 6:15-38Confession: I take caring for the sanctuary and church grounds more seriously than I let on. It bothers me to see props from last year's Christmas pageant laying around. There's always a room (or three) full of junk no one dares throw away. Used tissues in the pews. A disorganized and messy narthex. And may God forgive us for our church refrigerators.Excellence isn't about what you have. It's about what you do with what you have....

It feels good to learn something new.I've known confirmation hasn't always been a unified practice. But I didn't realize it entailed so much keep up with the denominational Jones. Someone posted an observation about this in a public clergy group. Here is the response that schooled me:So, Wesley actually deleted the confirmation rites entirely from the Book of Common Prayer when he edited it for use by Methodists in America.Why?I would argue this falls under...

Gloria let me know my skin has been looking rough for a while. It had a particular effect on me.One of the Kelsey Kids saw me in worship every week. And everyone she had the same observation: He still looks old.This past Sunday was the first time she didn't repeat that to her family. So, after several months, I guess my skin's healing and I'm looking younger again.Stay blessed...j...

 Showing upEphesians 6:21-23There's power in showing up. God's power.Show up to celebrate a birthday, a new beginning or to honor the passing of a loved one or friend. When you show up, you do more than participate in the arranged gathering. You demonstrate. You demonstrate the far-reaching love of God in a hospital waiting room. A retirement party, an awards assembly or a coffee-shop meet up.Living rooms are great places to show up.God showed up in swaddling...