Yes, like sheep, we are a needy people. But we don’t really want to live under the shadow of desperate circumstances as a prerequisite for our intimate dependence on Jesus. It’s hard to live that way. But there is an “alternative fuel source” that those who are living a dependent life with Jesus have discovered.…
During our Pandemic Apocalypse, we’ve competed in the “decathlon” of emotional workouts. Uncertainty, fear, and disorientation are powerful, and a steady stream of bad news is like getting emotionally water-boarded. We feel more needy than ever, and therefore more vulnerable than ever… Jesus wants us to find Home in Him, a relationship that invites our vulnerability, and gives us a safe place to be needy… Join Rick as he launches a new series called IN HIS IMAGE—together, explore why Jesus loved neediness so much, and how and why He made Himself vulnerable to need… LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE NOW Have you joined the Pigs?…
To win in a game of Simon Says, we have to radically obey what we’re told. And we’re living in one big challenging game of Simon Says in our culture right now… The tension that exists as we’re “opening up” is real and widespread, because our obedience to “Simon”—government leaders and scientists—is in tension with our determination to choose what we think is right and good.…
Ever had a friend recommend something, so you try it, and then you realized… you hate it? How can something be “truly good” if not everyone agrees that it is truly good? John Krasinski’s online pandemic show Some Good News brought us a weekly dose of “good”—but how does his good compare to the way Jesus defines good? …
We’re washed over by waves of grief, fear, and uncertainty in our world right now. As followers of Jesus, we know that racism is contrary in every way to the heart of Jesus. And yet, it persists like the “weeds scattered in secret by the thief” in Jesus’ Parable of the Wheat and Weeds. …
On Pentecost Sunday Calebe Silva, a teenager in New Jersey, opened his church’s Zoom church service with a short reading from Isaiah, followed by a piercing lament over the grief and pain the African-American community is experiencing right now (in the wake of the protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police).…
After co-hosting my church’s online service last weekend, I logged onto the service-stream of a friend’s church in another state. “Carl” (not his real name) was focusing on the “Hurry Sickness” that afflicts our culture (well before COVID-19 descended on us).…
Although God is self-sufficient in every way, he decides to create more. The “heavens and the earth.” You and me (and look what trouble He invited when He did that). What is the purpose of more when you are already enough?…
One age group is hit particularly hard with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s teenagers. Join Thom and youth ministry expert and author Rick Lawrence as they discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on youth ministers and teenagers around the country. Then discover key steps youth ministries can take to stay keep their teenagers engaged during these challenging times.…
On the seventh day God finished his work of creation, so he rested. But why did an all-sufficient God need rest? What kind of rest is this—and what is the truth about the rest Jesus is inviting us into? Join Rick as he continues a series exploring the foundational truths connected to Jesus and his mission in our lives.…
 In His Image: Passion){kind=link}
 In His Image: The Beauty of Neediness){kind=link}
 Foundations: Jesus the Disobedient){kind=link}
 Foundations: Some Good News){kind=link}
 Jesus and Racism){kind=link}
 Confessions){kind=link}
 Foundations: More){kind=link}
 What COVID-19 Unveils About Today’s Youth Ministry){kind=link}
 Foundations: Breathe){kind=link}