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.…
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.…
More than three decades ago I showed up for my first day of work at Group Publishing, a 26-year-old amateur theologian and journalist trained in investigative reporting, about to mount the lowest rung on my career ladder. Six months later Thom Schultz, founder and CEO of Group, asked to meet with me… I remember the nervous, intimidated feeling I had as I walked the hallway to his office.…
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? …
(EDITOR’S NOTE: I led this conversation with Jeffrey Wallace and Brent Crowe several years ago, but it’s more pertinent now than ever. Racial tensions, like embers in a forest, have been whipped into a flames by controversial (and deadly) confrontations between white police officers and young black men.…
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. …
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.…
My home-based youth group (called Pursuing the Heart, Not the Recipes) meets every Tuesday night—20-ish teenagers from six churches and five schools, and from freshmen to seniors. When the college students are on break, it balloons up to 25 or so.…
 In His Image: Passion){kind=link}
 Foundations: Jesus the Disobedient){kind=link}
 Foundations: Some Good News){kind=link}
 Jesus and Racism){kind=link}
 Foundations: More){kind=link}
 What COVID-19 Unveils About Today’s Youth Ministry){kind=link}
 Foundations: Breathe){kind=link}
