While in grad school, I ran across the author Henri Nouwen, who articulated the tension—or paradox—of faith as well as anyone I have read. His answer, unlike most I have heard, does not whitewash the messiness of life or explain away the mystery of God. Rather, Nouwen wrote that an essential part of life is
Four Ways to Help you Walk in the Tension of Faith Read More »
Photo Credit: Dru, Creative Commons Faith isn’t destroyed or diminished by doubt. The opposite is true: faith is the answer to doubt. When you are in the desert and are dying of thirst, collapsing in the sand won’t take you to water. When you are drowning in the ocean, becoming motionless won’t save your life.
Why I Think Doubt is Necessary Read More »
Photo Credit: Olga Caprotti, Creative Commons Guest Post by Ben Larson I’ve been reading the bible almost every day since I was very young (with the exception of three or four years of doing my own thing in college). Sometimes I read a lot; sometimes I only read a verse or two, but I try
I Think I Hate Reading the Bible (Please Don’t Tell Anyone!) Read More »
A new piece I wrote for RELEVANT Magazine wrestling with some of the ideas brought up in The Grand Paradox was just published. Check out the brief excerpt below and read the rest on their website. ————————————————————————————————————— Deadlines. Relational drama. Global injustice. Multiple jobs. Financial stress. Life is relentlessly difficult and moves insanely fast. The world is
Want to Hear from God? Slow Down. Read More »
Guest Post by Dr. Amy Stumpf Six stalks of bamboo sit on my desk. Three are just regular bamboo stalks that grow straight up. The other three are slightly more expensive “lucky” bamboo stalks that have grown in some decorative shapes. That bamboo didn’t just randomly grow into an artistically twisted pattern. I suppose that
On Bamboo, Justice, and Spiritual Disciplines Read More »
I don’t post a lot of sermon videos, but when I found myself toward the end of this one wishing my daughters were in there to hear it, I realized it was that good. Do yourself a favor, watch this one all the way through.
Walking with God – Part 1 Read More »
A common theme in the Old and New Testaments is that “the just shall live by faith.” Why is it that the just person must live by faith? It is simply this: if we are not looking out for ourselves, then we have to trust that God is looking out for us. If—in following Christ’s
The Just Shall Live By Faith Read More »
Guest Post by Pete Kelley After years of joking with my Baptist friends about ‘giving up Lent for Lent’ and ‘fasting from fasting’, I now find myself a firm believer in the observance of the season of Lent. About 10 years ago I decided to give Lent a try and I haven’t looked back since.
I was recently interviewed about The Grand Paradox by Jonathan Merritt for a Religion News Service post on Faith and Culture. Jonathan is a columnist and the author of several books including his latest, Jesus Is Better Than You Imagined. You can read more by Jonathan on his blog and follow him on Twitter @JonathanMerritt.
The Grand Paradox on Religious News Service Read More »
Guest Post by Andrea Lucado I sat in a church I’d never been to on Sunday. It was different from the churches I typically attend for a few reasons. It was much smaller. It didn’t start on time. It was a different denomination. And the big one, the demographic, as far as social class and
Do You Worship Your Worship Experience? Read More »
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