As we wind down our ABIDE sermon series, John’s purpose for writing his book (to inspire belief in his readers – John 20:31) is standing out to me. Particularly the raw reality that as Jesus hung on the cross, he hung between belief and unbelief. He had a thief on either side of him: one believed, one ridiculed. I feel John’s intent surge to the forefront as he poses what continues to hang in the ...  Read More

“What are you up to? Do you want spaghetti?” It was a gloomy day after a prayer meeting at the Vine Building downtown, where Chloe invited me upstairs. Since I was new to the young adult community, I sensed this was her way of being intentional about including the outsider. And being a young guy in college, I obviously didn’t turn down free food. From across the island in the middle of the teal ki...  Read More

Our world is full of competition. We compete in sports to see who is the reigning champion. There’s competition in schools for all kinds of things, including grades. In the workplace, people compete for jobs. Restaurants compete for customers. Let’s not talk about competitiveness in politics. It seems like it’s all around us, and it’s easy to get caught up in it. When does healthy competition beco...  Read More

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations …” (Matt. 28:18). Jesus commissioned not only the eleven disciples, but all disciples over time. Additionally, he was commissioning the Church, as those eleven represented the whole of the Church.The Great Commission isn’t an individual endeavor, it requires a team. The local church is ea...  Read More

We worship a creative and surprising God! His love for unexpected beauty shows up throughout creation. We see it in the strange and beautiful animals, birds, and fish. We see it through his choice to use the ignored and unexpected for his purposes (Moses, David, Ruth, and Rahab come to mind). In retrospect, it’s no wonder that when he chose to clothe himself in humanity, he became the son of a car...  Read More

In Genesis 32, Jacob is stressed. For most of his life, he’s fled from his brother Esau who, after Jacob stole the firstborn’s blessing, has wanted to kill him. This has haunted Jacob (even his name means “supplanter”), but in chapter 32, he and God have had enough. The Lord told him to “return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good” (Gen. 32:9), and now, after sending his fam...  Read More

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (John 7:37-39 NIV). Jesus interrupted this ceremony at the pinnacle of the cel...  Read More

I spent a glorious week with my three-year-old grandson, Max. Three-year-olds are so interesting. They are little mimics and repeat back to you things you say and even things you wished they hadn’t heard. I had to be careful of what I said even when he wasn’t listening to me. He looks up to me and allows my words to influence him. Numbers 11:4 says, “The rabble with them began to crave other food,...  Read More

"No, I can't think of anything, but thank you," is the most common response I get whenever I directly ask someone, "is there anything you need prayer for?" While it often comes up during street ministry, I actually hear it most from people in church, especially when there's no immediate health or relationship crisis.Why is that? Why is it that those who complain about their jobs on Monday, or thei...  Read More

Forty-four years ago, I stepped into a small church on Locust Street. I’d become a Christian that summer, and when I returned to WMU, finding a church was a top priority. I visited several churches but had yet to find one as passionately alive as the Mexican church I attended in Lansing. While at a church on campus, I expressed to another student how I found the service lacking passion and intensi...  Read More

Our hearts reveal how much the ailments of the age affect us. We want a fulfilling life—but many of us are surviving, not thriving. We want a strong sense of purpose—but many of us feel confused, not clear. We want to engage with something of lasting meaning—but many of us feel insignificant, not important. We want to feel a deep sense of belonging–but many of us feel lonely, not loved.Our culture...  Read More

(originally posted in 2023)I don’t know about you, but I find that in my day-to-day life, I struggle to make space to just sit and linger. For instance, if I’m going on a hike on a beautiful day, I often find myself not thinking about the nature at all but rather the work I need to do after that hike, or if I’m eating dinner I’m not actually focusing on enjoying the food, but rather paying attenti...  Read More