Tag: christian growth

  • Precision Cut Grace

    Precision Cut Grace

    Thirteen years ago I had laser eye surgery. In this procedure, the patient lies on a table, staring at the light. Behind the light is a computer guided laser, reshaping your cornea to correct your vision. I so vividly remember this simultaneously exciting and terrifying event. The first eye went fine. “Stare at the light and…

  • Peace be With You

    Peace be With You

    My wife and I have recently come off a transition in our roles. We successfully passed off many of our leadership responsibilities to men and women we trained up and walked with. This is every leaders dream and greatest moment of success, to see something you’ve begun outlast you and be improved by another. It…

  • Not All Checklists Are Bad

    Not All Checklists Are Bad

    I hate checklists for spiritual growth. They lead towards a works orientation and a focus on being performance-based. When a recent church service message started with a “Checklist for Spiritual Zeal” I was concerned. 6 commands from Ephesians 5 were restated as questions. Each one had an emphasis on not having a “hint” of such…

  • Christ is Risen Indeed

    Christ is Risen Indeed

    When we speak of Christ’s work on the cross, most of our emphasis is on his sacrifice which became the basis for our forgiveness. But we have a dual problem. Genesis 3 instituted sin and death as consequences for Adam and Eve “breaking the planet.” The prediction of the Messiah coming to break the curse…

  • When Freedom is Not Freedom

    When Freedom is Not Freedom

    One of the biggest challenges in cross cultural work is knowing what you can and cannot do. This happens both culturally and in religious settings. The “gray areas” in Scripture are numerous. The do not’s are obvious, but there are many times when we are not sure if it is good or not to walk…