This is a remix of a post I created during COVID, but its message is valid today as well. And I needed to be reminded. Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? One that just keeps coming back again and again and bubbles up in your brain at the oddest of times? I’ve had one lately. It’s an old country gospel song that my grandmother and my parents ...

That's my new question at the end of each week. Instead of asking "what did I accomplish" or "how much did I get done" or even "how much money did I make," I've started asking "was I the person God calls me to be?" The answer is always "not totally." And that's okay. I believe there's something in the Bible about how we all fall short (Romans 9:23). Don't beat yourself ...

Yeah, here we are again. November. When everyone trots out their gratitude practice, and the focus of everything from store fronts to social media feeds is on how grateful we all should be. But gratitude can be hard...because life is hard, and this season of forced gratitude doesn't help. Add a layer of guilt about not feeling grateful over the general malaise of already not feeling particularly thankful and you ...

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 We are all works in progress. We are not who we used to be, and we are not yet all we will become. We make adjustments. We change. We grow. That's how life works. I'm hearing a version of the statement below ...

Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. Hebrews 10:23 If you follow me and this blog regularly, you may have noticed it's taken kind of a dark turn. I, like many of you, have been a bit overwhelmed by everything that is happening in our country these days. And it is important (imperative, even) to stand up ...

Pastors listen to a lot of stories, and we carry a lot of secrets. Maybe not so much secrets (as that sounds somewhat illicit), but more like stories that aren't ours to tell. While Protestant pastors do not carry the protection of the Catholic confessional, we do keep confidences. I can't tell you how often someone has told me their story thinking they were the only one (at least in ...

Friends, for almost four years, every Friday, I've brought you things to read, watch and listen to that are sure to make you smile. Because we all could use a little good news. It's the longest running spiritual discipline of my life, and I hope you have, indeed, smiled, laughed and been encouraged. But it's time to put Feel Good Friday to bed for now. Doubting Believer has grown so ...

This season, as you gather with friends and family and friends who have become family, there are bound to be some relational hiccups (euphemism is one of my spiritual gifts). Here are three things (that all conveniently start with the letter C) that you should give up engaging in or listening to so that you can thrive instead of merely survive during the holidays. Comparison You are a beloved child ...

Gifts don't need to be things you can wrap. In fact, some of the best gifts aren't things at all. Here are five things that you can give this holiday season that will mean a lot and cost nothing--but a little time and effort on your part. One Make a list of people you know who are grieving a loss this holiday season--particularly those who are experiencing a first holiday ...

Did you know that it's approximately 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem? https://youtu.be/bEj2J003tG4 Join us for the journey. Bethlehem or Bust. Use #bob2021 to post your progress on social media and download an old school paper tracker HERE>.

Are you saved? Most of you reading this know what people mean when they ask you that question (and some of you may be slightly triggered by the question), but I’m going to guess that a few of you are thinking, “from what?” When people ask that question, what they’re really asking you is “Are you a Christian?” And they usually have very specific ideas about how one gets to claim ...

In The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis pictures hell as a lonely, gray town trapped in twilight, where the houses are built at a huge distance from one another, yet people are continually moving farther away from each other. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. We are not meant to go it alone. We are called to live in community. And it would be a wonderful thing ...

Throughout the Bible (particularly in the Psalms), there are calls to sing God's praises. Is this because God demands our adoration? Do we really think God is that needy? Maybe, just maybe, God wants us to sing praises because it is good for us. When you sing out loud your body releases endorphins and increases levels of oxytocin, meaning your mood is lifted and you feel happier. Singing with groups ...

I've been asking myself this question for awhile now. I think I figured it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B_aBF2LotU&t=103s It all starts on August 15. Join us! Learn More about That's Not in the Bible

As we begin to return to much anticipated in-person community, A reminder that community can be hard. We come to community from different places and in different head spaces. We come weary and weird We come cheery and chilled We come in a spectrum of colors We come not always either/or but both/and We come grieving and celebrating We come angry and invigorated The kin-dom of God is one wild kingdom That takes all kinds Make ...

It's fun. It's free. It's only for five days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-lVxt8VqOU Sign Up Today!

https://youtu.be/a6o_hqEKNWM We need to pay attention to how we talk about Jesus and church when we talk to people about Jesus and church--especially those of us (like me) who have spent our lives in church and are used to the language. Church language is not universal, and even among Christians, it varies. Evangelicals and Catholics and Mainline Protestants certainly do not all speak the same language (I've only recently learned about ...

My friend Greg came up with a great idea for the last Wednesday of the first month of 2021. Since the first three Wednesdays have been divisive moments for our country (we had Insurrection Wednesday, Impeachment Wednesday and then Inauguration Wednesday), the fourth Wednesday should be something that brings us all together--ice cream. Unless you are lactose intolerant or vegan (and there are still options for you), ice cream is ...

I've been watching various versions of the story below play out on social media and in real life for months now. May we be mindful and careful of what we decide to toss out and who we decide to shut out. You and I each have a bucket. It can be filled with water, sand, rice, grain...whatever works for you. (It's not a real bucket. It's a metaphor.) Every time I lift ...

For the past 131 Fridays, I've posted things to read, watch or listen to that are sure to make you smile--because we all could use a little good news. It's the longest running, unbroken spiritual practice I've ever maintained--seeking out good news no matter what is happening in my life or the world. And I'm not about to stop now. However... after the events of this week, I can't bring myself ...

Doing something a little different this year. We're all going to need a lot of this word in the year to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihXMDRXmc1w Therefore encourage one another and build each other up1 Thessalonians 5:11a Join us for a year of encouragement. You'll be encouraged and find new ways to encourage others. The online class You Got This: The Intentional Encourager is available for only $10 (less than half the regular cost) until the ...