Christian leaders know and invest their lives in those they lead. To a faithful Christian leader, those in their ministry do not exist for their benefit. The true shepherd so desires the vitality of those they lead that the impression they make on the shepherd’s hearts lasts long after the leadership relationship is completed. One…
Suffering has a way of shrinking your view of your entire life down to your pain. It’s like when you have a headache, everything you do is tainted and affected by the throbbing your feel in your forehead. Suffering has a way of causing spiritual amnesia. We forget that there is more true about us…
After three children, I thought I had this parenting thing more or less figured out. And then we had Charlotte. Charlotte has a temper. Grocery shopping when she is not inclined to do so is a nightmare of embarrassment and anxiety. She’s defiant. I think her first sentence was her yelling at me, “No, I…
You have a secret weapon in fighting for joy. As a pastor, counseling people in trouble is a regular part of my life. I counsel teenagers, singles, married couples, 20 somethings, empty nesters, and all points in between. Most people who come for counseling are not joyful–that’s often what drives them to seek counseling in…
Have you ever sat behind that person at the movie theater? Maybe they are tall and block a clear view of the screen. Or perhaps they cannot resist the urge to comment on the movie or reminisce about in what other movies this or that actress has been. But one way or another, they obstruct your…
Photo by Mario Azzi on Unsplash Depression is “just this detached, meaningless fog where you can’t feel anything about anything.” Depression is a malady that has hit close to my heart, as family members and close friends have struggled with it. Although I’ve personally not battled with intense and pervasive bouts of depression, there have been at times a…
Joy in Christ is the deep good feelings in loving Him and believing Him. It’s the echo in our emotions — our hearts — of experiencing Christ as precious and experiencing Christ as reliable. It’s the deep good feelings of being attracted to Him for who He is and the deep good feelings of being…
Eric Geiger has a great word on gratitude I read and wanted to pass along. The original post can be viewed here. Though you may not use the terms, you are familiar with “direct” and “inverse” relationships. In a “direct” relationship, when X rises, Y rises as well. For example, when the number of people…
Theology Along the Way 