a pastor's thoughts on faith, family, life & leadership.
We all live by a narrative that is unfolding within us and around us. In the simplest of understanding, it's the way in which we see things. The narrative of worry is the internal story of scarcity, worst-case scenarios and confusion. Worry knocks on the doors of our hearts and lives no matter our gender, age [...]
Where's your favorite chair? Is it in your house? Was it in the house you grew up in? Or maybe it's in someone else's house, it's the one you look to make sure no one is sitting there at you enter and as you try to move the conversation into that room. Is it in [...]
Prayer matters. What's the role of prayer in our life? For some it's seen as a life-saver - literally - they give it a toss whenever tragedy or crisis occur and are reaching out for God to intervene. For others, they roll through prayer as they would a Skype call to a distant relative with updates [...]
There's a lot of talk about love. Ideas, concepts and conversations around what it is and what it looks like. This post isn't about debating the intricacies of it or an attempt to get our arms completely around it. This is about highlighting one reality of love. Love sweats. Love is active. It takes initiative. [...]
Courage seems to be something we all desire to live with, but sometimes find lacking or waning within us. Why is it such a challenge to live courageously? What does it look like to live courageously in our faith journey with Christ? What does it look like to live life on adventures with God? There [...]
You won’t find God stuck in the past. You'll notice His handiwork and recognize His workings. But He's not stuck back there. His name is not I Was. His name is I Am. If we obsess over what God did last, we might just miss what He wants to do next. God’s at work right here, right [...]
"Joy is the serious business of Heaven." -C.S. Lewis Celebration matters to God. We’re called to practice celebration because of the many things it will do within our hearts. Richard Foster says that "celebration is central to all spiritual practices." If you find yourself struggling with envy, bitterness, disappointment or grumpiness – ask yourself: are you [...]
Life moves fast. Perhaps too fast. Sometimes so fast that it can almost feel like you're missing out on living it. When life becomes hurried - it actually begins to rob you of life. So, what's the alternative? Become a couch potato? Do nothing? Say 'no' to everyone? Probably not. That's not living either. Is [...]
"Out of sight, out of mind." That's how the saying goes. When something or someone is not visible, active or heard from, then they must be gone and thus we don't focus or consider them. But is that really true? Remember the times following the concert where the crowd cheers, yells and claps until the band [...]
It's Thanksgiving Week. I hope you, with friends and family, have a great time celebrating together with good food and fun. In this season, our minds tend to contemplate some things we're thankful for, so here's 10 Scriptures that can help center a thankful heart. Let them stir you to Give Thanks. May you have a "Thanks-filled" [...]
Listen as God calls you out and toward new adventures in each new day you're given. FOLLOW. Jesus simple invite was: "Follow Me" The joy and adventure of life is found in following after God and walking with him…as he leads. Each day can become predictable, routine and mundane if we allow it. If we [...]
Labels are a part of life. From labels on clothing, to labels we use to organize our files, to the labels on jars, bottles and cans. There's labels we assign to products and services giving our approval or disappointment. We navigate relationships by assigning labels to people's character and interactions. We can't help but label [...]
Be Quick. It seems to be the normal pace of life. Quick to go do. Quick to read through. Quick to share our opinion. Quick to move on. But in reading through James with my Egroup guys, we're being reminded what the greatest tip toward 'quickness' is to God. James 1:19-20 says this: 19 My dear [...]
We're celebrating that we got to play a small part in the BIG work God is up to across our city. Praying for MORE... the best is yet to come! Take a minute and watch this update: Celebration of School Impact 2014 from Jack Schull on Vimeo.
Our lives are full of pursuits. Some are simple pursuits, some are epic. Some are mundane and everyday that simply enhance our existence. Others actually help us build our story. We grow up seeking all kinds of things. It's part of the motor that moves our lives... Maybe we pursue our deepest and longest lingering dreams. Maybe it's the body [...]
