In Mark 4:30-34 we read about the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Think about the process of a seed being planted and germinating into a tree. The seed needs to be planted in the soil. The seed could lay dormant for years but with the right amount of sunlight, temperature, and moisture something miraculous happens.…
Confession: I have a critical spirit at times. There are ugly moments in my life when I find myself identifying more with the religious leaders in the gospels than the people who come to Jesus, who are needy, helpless, and desirous of healing, acceptance, and love. At times, I completely miss the heart of Jesus…
Today is Mark 2. I’m actually preaching Mark 2:1-12 this Sunday at Graceland Church, specifically our New Albany campus so this passage has been on my mind. There is one observation that floods my mind whenever I read Mark 2 and it’s this: What should be MORE amazing is NOT the fact that Jesus told…
Photo by Felix Koutchinski on Unsplash A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11 Jesus-like wisdom makes us patient people and patient people are forgiving people. Instead of becoming irritated, wise, and patient people overlook the sins of others. Q: What does it mean to overlook the sin in other…
One of the books I am currently (re)-reading is Confessions, by Augustine. Early in the book, the church father pointed me Godward with this paragraph: What, then, is my God? What, I ask, except the Lord God? For who is God save our God? O highest and best, most all-powerful, most merciful and most just,…
Photo by Omar Prestwich on Unsplash Grouchiness about other pastors’ churches? Their size? Their coolness? The number of conversions they see? Their creativity in programming, marketing, and sermons? Nope. Not me. Never. I promise.  I’m always kingdom-minded and thankful for the work that God is doing in and through other churches. God tells us to…
Octavius Winslow (1808–1878) was an English non-conformist who was once a Baptist pastor who later turned to the Anglican communion. He has numerous writings available through Banner of Truth here. I recently ran across how Octavius defines prayer and wanted to share it here. “True prayer is the aspiration of a renewed soul towards God;…
Throughout the history of Christianity, followers of Jesus have consistently stated what they believe. This makes sense given that Christianity isn’t a vague religion with undefined doctrine. There are specific truth claims and particular doctrinal beliefs that mark Christianity off as distinct from other world religions. Where are these truth claims found? In the Bible,…
One of my favorite leadership expressions says that if you think you’re leading people but no one is following, you’re not leading – you’re just taking a walk. A surefire way to get people to stop following is to be demanding and correct them constantly without offering profuse encouragement. As Mark Chanski says in his…
My bride and I love our kids. Honestly. We enjoy hugging and kissing them. We enjoy holding their hands, though they’re quickly seeing that I’m not nearly as cool as they once thought I was! We love seeing them smile and hearing them laugh. We love when they ask questions about Jesus, truth, the Bible…
Theology Along the Way 