Nice Is NOT a Fruit of the Spirit It might surprise you but – Jesus wasn’t nice. He was kind. He was compassionate. He was full of grace and truth. But “nice”? Not in the way we’ve defined it. “Nice” smiles when it should speak.“Nice” avoids conflict instead of calling out injustice.“Nice” would rather preserve…
When the Soundtrack Replaces the Savior Imagine walking into your favorite worship service: the lights dim, the audio swells as the band begins a movingly beautiful version of “Gratitude.” To use a phrase from my teenage daughter the vibe is on point. You raise your hands. You feel it. You really feel close to God. But here’s the haunting…
We’ve gotten really good at believing. We’ve got our doctrinal ducks in a row. We know the creeds. We defend the truth. We believe in Jesus, we believe in the Bible, we believe in grace. But if belief is all we’ve got—if it never grows legs, never rolls up its sleeves, never does anything—then our faith is on…
In a world obsessed with bite-sized content, instant gratification, and comfortable ideologies, the Church faces a crucial question: Have we traded the hard, soul-refining truth of God’s Word for something more palatable—something easier to swallow but ultimately less powerful? It seems more and more that Christianity has been reduced, in many circles, to a moral code…
There’s something electric about firsts. The first word of a child. The first speech of a new government official. The first sermon of a preacher. In Luke 4:16–30, we get the unforgettable moment when Jesus delivers what many believe is His first recorded sermon—and it’s a mic drop moment that left His hometown stunned, offended,…
There’s a line that haunts me and should do the same for the modern church:“We’re more well known for what we’re against than what we’re for.” The reason it’s so haunting is because it’s true! Somewhere along the line, curiosity died. We stopped asking how God might be moving in the world and settled for condemning…
Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off:The size of your church is not a spiritual scoreboard.And no, your small attendance doesn’t automatically make you more faithful than the megachurch down the street. The same is true the other way around and we’ll address that one in a future post, but for now hang with me. I’ve…
This week we celebrated Ash Wednesday. A day that marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a season marked by reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a time to acknowledge our failures, confront our brokenness, and recognize our deep need for grace. As we step into this forty-day journey toward the cross, Jesus’ words…
Let’s be honest—sometimes the church is better at talking than listening. We love a good sermon, a strong rebuke, or a theological mic drop. But when it comes to understanding culture, too often we respond like a grumpy old man shaking a fist at the kids on his lawn. And guess what? The kids aren’t…
If we’re being honest, everyone wrestles with doubt at some point. Whether it’s questioning God’s timing, His goodness, or if He’s even listening, doubt creeps in when life throws curveballs. Maybe your prayers feel unanswered, or the world seems too broken to believe God is in control. Here’s the good news: doubt isn’t the enemy of faith—doubt…
