Faith Journey Blog

Our lives often feel like scattered strands of thread… some strong, some frayed, some knotted from choices we regret or paths we wish we had taken differently. But in the hands of the Master Weaver, no thread is wasted. God takes the bright colors of our joy, the dark tones of our struggles, and the ordinary shades of our everyday routines, and He weaves them together into a tapestry we cannot yet see in full. From our side of the loom, the weaving looks messy and unfinished. Loose threads dangle. Colors seem misplaced. We question why certain seasons had to unfold the way they did. Yet from His side, every crossing thread is intentional, every shade chosen with purpose. What feels like wandering to us is, in His design, the shaping of a pattern that reflects His glory. Prayer, then, becomes our way of aligning with the Weaver's hands. It is not merely asking for different colors or new threads, but opening our hearts to trust that His design is better than anything we could sketch...

Mark 11:15-17  On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’"   As I picture my journey of faith, I see the temple in the distance… a symbol of God's presence, a sacred place of communion and holiness. That's where I want to be. But the path to the temple is crowded with distractions. Along the way, the enemy has set up tables, each one carefully crafted to catch my eye and slow my steps. There's the table of pride, with its trinkets of admiration and accomplishment. The table of lust, covered in fleeting images and desires. The table of comfort, offering me an easier road than the o...

 Recently, I listened to a sermon on  Psalm 67 . He described it as a  “Harvest Psalm”  structured in a chiastic form, an intentional literary form that highlights the core message right in the middle: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”  (Psalm 67:4) He started with a simple question: Where is the Gospel in this Psalm? His answer:  Right there—in the middle. Verse 4. This isn’t just a Psalm about worship. It’s about  worship that sends . Worship that overflows. Worship that fuels mission. Then he offered a simple, actionable rhythm: Pray. Welcome. Send. Go. But what  is  mission, really? As I sat with those words, I started to wonder if we’ve sometimes painted mission with too narrow a brush. Is mission only about going overseas? Does it have to involve preaching to unreached people groups? Is it only for full-time missionaries or those called to dangerous, despe...

After talking to several others this week about my previous blog post, A Better Way , I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a deep cultural chasm between "power as force" and "power as surrender".  Many people, even good, faithful ones, get stuck on the idea that peace and love are idealistic unless they’re backed by violence, strength, or deterrence. But the life of Jesus (and of people like Gandhi, MLK, Mother Teresa) challenges that assumption head on. Jesus redefined power, not by destroying enemies, but by dying for them. The cross is the ultimate rejection of force. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34 Many still believe that force is the only way to protect what matters. But Jesus showed us something radically different. He didn’t crush evil with a sword. He absorbed evil on a cross. His answer to injustice wasn’t vengeance. It was forgiveness. And He didn’t “secure peace” by destroying enemies. He made ...

Do any of these words stir something in you? MAGA. Liberal. Riot. LGBTQ+. Insurrection. Abortion. Gun Control. DEI. Woke. Snowflake. Trump. Biden. Kamala. Maybe your pulse picked up. Maybe your shoulders tightened. Maybe a flood of opinions rushed in before you could stop them. That’s okay.You’re not alone. These words have become more than labels, they’ve become triggers. They tap into years of headlines, arguments, algorithms, sermons, cancel culture, identity politics, and personal wounds. We’ve been trained to react, not reflect. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” — Luke 6:45   Our reactions reveal the state of our hearts often more than we realize. But let’s ask a deeper question together:  What’s behind that reaction? Is it anger? Fear? Moral conviction? Tribal loyalty? Wounded pride? A sense of righteousness? Or, maybe hardest question of all, is it the Spirit of Jesus? “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing o...

Spiritual Leadership: Living and Leading Like Jesus Matthew 4:19 - Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  Live It - Personal daily rhythms of apprenticeship to Jesus  Model/Share It - With your circle of influence  Multiply It - Intentionally disciple and lift others to lead  Live It: Personal Daily Rhythms  Psalm 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God.  Practicing Presence - Cultivate awareness of God's nearness throughout your day.      •  Breath prayers, Lectio 365 app , pausing at key transitions (start car, enter home, etc.)  Scripture Meditation - Slowly engage the Word, not for information, but formation.      •  BibleProject , asking/journaling: "What is God saying to me?"  Prayer - Conversational, confessional, intercessory (praying for others), listening.      •  Examen , written prayers, intercession list  Sabbath, Silence, & Fasting - Weekly (or dai...

This morning's men's group was heavy - a good heavy. We had deep conversation in our men’s group. We read Daniel 9 and prayed. But men also opened up about real struggles with addiction, cancer, fear of dying alone. Raw, unfiltered life. And in the middle of it all, I'm reminded of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. (Luke 22:42) As I drove away, the song “ Is He Worthy ” by Chris Tomlin played on the radio. It felt like God was underscoring everything we had just heard, said, and prayed.  Here’s what the Spirit is stirring in me this morning... 1. Confession and Intercession ( Daniel 9 ) Daniel’s prayer is powerful and deeply honest. He owns the sins of his people as if they are his own. He models what it means to stand in the gap - confessing, pleading, trusting. As I reflect on this, I realize how easily I gloss over my own sins, thinking I’ve got it “pretty much together.” But ...