All in christian living

Is Your Church All About the Gospel?

I've attended several different churches after getting out of high school and no church does things exactly the same. However, one thing should be the same for all churches and unfortunately it isn't. Every single church should be unapologetically focused on the gospel. The death and resurrection of Jesus for sinners should drive their ministries and it should be the main point of every sermon. 

Are You Religious?

One thing people may or may not know about me is that I'm introverted. I am probably not on the "super extreme happy to be alone in a room for a month" side of introversion, but I am at least on the "I've been hanging out with people for three hours and if I don't get alone soon I'm gonna stroke out" side of introversion. Hanging out is work and I'm much happier to keep to myself than strike up a conversation with a stranger. 

What's My Identity?

Where do you find your identity? Maybe you find it in being a husband or wife. Maybe you find it in being a mom or dad. Maybe you find it in your job or your hobbies. Maybe you even find it in your kids and what they do. We all identify ourselves in one way or another.

Jesus Over Everything

If you knew the things I think about, you'd probably be scared. I have a really random brain. A journey through my brain is probably similar to getting lost on Youtube. One minute you're watching a video about how to fix something you broke and then the next thing you know you've somehow found your way to watching rappers rap with and without autotune. My brain bounces from thought to thought and before I know it, I'm thinking about completely ridiculous things.

When God Takes Our Delight

I love my wife and my child more than anything else on this planet. They give me such joy and I would be devastated to lose them. If I'm honest with you, I think at times I fail at striking the right balance between them and God. At times, I put them in the place He deserves. I treasure the gift more than the Giver. The Bible calls this idolatry and we are all subject to it. 

Unwavering Hope Amidst Terror

I walked through the halls of a middle school in my town this morning overhearing bits and pieces of conversations among students. I heard words like "threat", "guns", and "shooting". I was stopped and questioned by a principal and police officer before I ever got close to the door. Parents are losing their minds on social media. One thing I'm not hearing communicated: hope.

Life is Short

As my age increases, my realization of the brevity of life increases. I've been married five years now, I'm in the third decade of life, and I have a daughter who's speedy growth continually reminds me that every moment is precious. The older I get, the more I feel the brevity of life and how fleeting the things we chase after are.

Why We Need Community

There are specific points in my life that I can point you to where I don't know what I would have done without Christian community. The regular routine of doing life with other likeminded believers has profoundly changed and shaped my life. Moving to a city where I knew no one, losing my first child, and having my first child are all huge times in my life where I've had the joy of people being the hands and feet of Jesus to me.

The Sin of More

We just wrapped up the Christmas season and many of us were blessed to receive many nice things. How did getting those new things make you feel? Maybe you were filled with joy and excitement unwrapping those gifts; maybe you were filled with disappointment at not getting what you hoped you would receive. Maybe, by now, the newness of those things has worn off, the high of new stuff has faded, and you are thinking about more. This is how it works. No matter how much we get, we want more.