Let’s face it: some people are harder to love than others. Sometimes it’s their personality or behavior, but often those are formed by their story. Someone treated them harshly when they were younger; they had a terrible role model in their mother or father; they were abused; they were orphaned; they were rejected. These things…
“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt. 23:28) From the outside it looked just fine. It looked like any other trash can on the road waiting for pick-up. It wasn’t even overflowing. Outside it was exactly as it should have been. But the inside contained…
Growing up as a pastor’s kid was tough, sometimes even harsh and lonely. It felt like we were living in a fishbowl, constantly under watchful eyes. We also got to experience firsthand how a church functions behind the scenes. We saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was hard watching fellow brothers and…
I feel sad at the grocery store. Sometimes I can hardly stand it. This is weird, I know. I try to not see them, but I can’t not look; it makes me crazy. I just wanted to run in and grab a box of mac and cheese, and now I’m crying over an old man…
“Grace means that all of your mistakes now serve a purpose instead of serving shame.” ~Mike Rusch, Sobriety by the Grace of God When the music begins at the Winter Olympics, skaters glide onto the smooth surface effortlessly. They gain speed and seem to float effortlessly into double axels and triple lutzes. For a…
With heads bowed, oxen plod through the soil bound together by a heavy yoke. Jesus uses an image that carries both weight and familiarity with the Jewish people. They understand the agricultural purpose of the wooden harness. The people also know the heaviness of the yoke of spiritual bondage. Trying to live out all the laws…