What did I learn about Jesus? Before Jesus began his ministry he defeated Satan using God’s Word. Jesus’ first message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What did I learn about disciple-making? To follow Jesus we need to learn the Word. Disciples immediately respond to the call of Jesus to […]
Someday, I really ought to get to that…
I don’t know how many times over my ministry I’ve heard people say, “Someday, I really ought to start reading the Bible.” They know that a disciple cannot grow without understanding God’s word. They know that time spent every day in the scripture and in prayer has been proven, scientifically, to produce all kinds of physical, emotional […]
Matthew 3
What did I learn about Jesus? God called Jesus his “beloved Son” when he was baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus has “fulfilled all righteousness.” What did I learn about disciple-making? Repentance was the first step to being baptized. God is looking for his followers to produce “good fruit.” Extended thoughts and observations: Today […]
Matthew 2 – God bless you all. I’m proud to be your pastor.
What did I learn about Jesus? People from other nations knew Jesus as “the king of the Jews.” Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which fulfilled one of the Old Testament prophesies, but then because his parents fled quickly to Egypt and then settled in Nazareth, Jesus also fulfills the prophesies about the Messiah, God’s Son, […]
Read More… from Matthew 2 – God bless you all. I’m proud to be your pastor.
Matthew 1
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus’ lineage included both well-to-do folks and others famous for their sin. Our God is known for his love for his love and participation an amazing diversity of lives. What did I learn about disciple-making? God used all different kinds of people to bring about Jesus’ ministry on earth. […]
The 90 Day Challenge
Happy New Year, Chapel Hill! Since deadlines require me to write this before Christmas, I have no idea how my holidays went! But my guess is …Christmas Eve was inspiring and a little exhausting, the Christmas morning brought the same satisfied fatigue it has 27 times before: I got up and made Swedish pancakes for […]
Spiritual Smoke Detector
I was having coffee yesterday with one of our mission partners, Doug Burleigh. Doug used to be the president of Young Life and now leads a ministry in Washington D.C., quietly serving and encouraging political leaders from around the world. Doug asked me a question he has asked hundreds of times over the years: “What […]
Of Seahawks and Pharisees
I have been battling with myself these past three months. On one hand, I hate it when a 10:00 Seahawk kickoff means a big drop in Sunday worship attendance. On the other hand, as I’ve been reading through the gospels, I see how many times Jesus fought with the Pharisees over the subject of the […]
Numbers I Am Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! This was a week of numbers for me and I thought I’d share them with you. They are numbers of celebration…and some of them are numbers of opportunity! 803-That’s the number of Covenant Cards that were turned in on last Covenant Sunday; those who said, in specific ways, “I want to be […]
The Craziness of Non-Obedient Discipleship
One of the most piercing questions Jesus ever asked comes in Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? This is reinforced in Jesus’ “Great Commission” in Matthew 28 when he tells his disciples to teach others to “obey all that I have commanded you.” It is […]