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).…
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?…
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.…
Before I launch into my confession-vomit, a few qualifiers… I love my church… I’d attend even if I didn’t work there (I know not every church staff member can say that with a straight face). I love and respect my pastor and my boss—my bullet-point confessions are not a veiled critique.…
“Hard” is a word we’re likely using more now than we did before. In these times, what factors make “hard” something people embrace, rather than avoid? Join Rick as he continues a series exploring the foundational truths connected to Jesus and his mission in our lives.…
Some of us are more than a month into quarantine and “normal” life may seem like a distant memory. Now that we’re living in the “awkward in-between,” how can Jesus’ time after his Resurrection help guide us through these uncertain times?…
Jesus was able to take death seriously while also not being afraid of it. In a time where we seem to be surrounded by death, let’s start to focus on hope and how Jesus gives us hope. Join Rick as he continues a series exploring the foundational truths connected to Jesus and his mission in our lives.…
With the coming of Easter, we also look forward to Good Friday. Although it is “good,” it is also a day filled with a lot of pain. What can we learn from this pain as we apply it to our everyday reality?…
We’ve heard the phrase “Jesus is the light of the world,” but what does this really mean? In a time when the darkness we’re living through is producing so much fear and anxiety, it’s important for us to take a deep dive into what “light” really means.…
 Jesus and Racism){kind=link}
 Foundations: More){kind=link}
 Foundations: Breathe){kind=link}
 Foundations: Resilience){kind=link}
 Foundations: The Awkward In-Between){kind=link}
 Foundations: “Up From the Grave”){kind=link}
 Foundations: The Problem of Pain){kind=link}
 Foundations: Jesus in the Dark){kind=link}