• Why There is a Universe

    Where did everything come from? Such a big question requires a bigger answer (though not always a popular one). Of course I’m speaking of God. Why are we here? There are many ways people might answer this question, but the bottom line is perhaps the biggest one of all—and it even reveals why we have a universe… “He works on us in all sorts of

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  • Stunned Surprise

    Stunned Surprise

    Several years ago a friend named “PJ” moved out of my hometown, Cool, California, for good. Before he left he handed me a plaque inscribed with a poem he meant to be about himself, but it actually spoke of me (and perhaps you, too) and God’s amazing grace. I think of PJ whenever I recite it, and smile… I dream’t of heaven the other night, and

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  • The Church is a training camp and supply depot for soldiers and servants in the deadliest war ever waged, a hospital for casualties and defectors in which we are its nurses and chaplains, a weight room for the weak, a mess hall for the hungry and a power plant for the Light for the world. To drift from this is to forfeit a war

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  • The View From Here…

    How we view God has a huge impact on how we treat others. A wise friend once observed, “We are created in God’s image. Whenever you meet a man, it is God asking you, “How will you treat Me?” I have yet to recover from this statement. I am glad. —j

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  • Sometimes we need a little shaking—something that interrupts a sleepy faith marinading in the idea that the church exists to feed, coddle and satisfy our appetite for wonder, when in fact it does’t exist for us at all. The church is Jesus living through His followers (herein is the wonder) and His followers living for Him and for each other. In fact the church is the only entity on earth

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  • No Trivial Pursuit

    No Trivial Pursuit

    Following Jesus is no trivial pursuit; neither is it a religious duty reserved for the devout. Following Jesus is capitulating (in ashes) to who He really is and doing what He said to do. Christians may find this somewhat optional (if we’re honest) or even imposing, but followers of Jesus follow because they came to the shattering realization of just

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  • The Clout of Christian Nobodies

    The success of the Gospel isn’t measured by the popularity of its people or it’s appeal to the world, but by the obedience of simple folks to the Holy Spirit. The cost is often high, but the results are beyond measure. Think you need a big name to shake the world? Think again. The Holy Spirit and a bunch

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  • The Church That Was (A Long Time Ago)

    (Since the Author of Hebrews told Jesus’ followers to “provoke one another to love and good deeds”, here are some provocations I collected over the years that I hope to launch every day or two. Blessings and provocations upon you. —j) Aristides watched Christians. He lived in the early 2nd century AD, and he saw believers who believed and who

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  • If you haven’t seen the full stage presentation of the Galilean Wedding, have a look here. Huge thanks to The Life Center in Orangevale, CA.

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  • A Rock for Your Soul

    What is a soul and why do you have one? Here’s a short answer. Enjoy. Really.

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