Walking Through Life’s Seasons
Hey all! It has been one day shy of four months since my last post, and I'm excited to (hopefully) start writing a bit more consistently. Here's a little bit of what's been going on in my life lately: For those who don't know, I have been the worship pastor at...
Remembering the Gospel
Each morning that I wake up, I seem to forget the grace of God. It's not that I forget that Jesus did indeed come and die for sinners, but rather I forget the profound implications that Jesus' death and resurrection have on my life. This morning I slept through my...
Journaling Through the Journey
I’m not gonna lie, journaling has always sounded a bit feminine to me. Partially because academia in the midwest is typically shunned by independent, sport-watching, beer-drinking men. I’m aware that this isn’t always the case, but the more men I come in contact...
A Well In the Desert
By nature, I'm not what you would call a "blogger." When I wrote my first blog post, I think my arrogance had me think that people would quickly latch on to my irresistible wisdom -that didn't happen. In fact, I haven't shared any of my thoughts through this...
Creator Designs Giveaway Contest!
https://twothingsincommon.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway-creator-designs-inc-valentines.html
Spiritual Pride?
Jerry Bridges in his book "The Pursuit of Holiness," gives some good insight on the dangers of growing in your knowledge of God without growing in your love of God. It is essential that we understand the character of God all the while seeking to love and know Him...
Learning To Farm
Being a follower of Jesus requires personal holiness. This means that after we have trusted Christ and our sins have been blotted out by His blood, we begin a process of becoming more and more like Him. Scripture calls this "sanctification." The command to live a...
Perhaps Some New Glasses Will Help
As a worship pastor, I think it is incredibly important to lead by example. I want to love reading God’s word more than eating a good steak or drinking a top notch Americano. I don’t just want to know that God’s Word is important, I truly want to enjoy it as I...
If God’s Grace is a Gift, Why Does Jesus Tell Me to “Sin No More?”
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). If God saves us only by His grace, then why does Christ call us to "sin no more?" (John 8:11). After all, doesn't our sin magnify God's grace?...
Yearning to Yearn For the God We Must Study
the·ol·o·gy – “the study of God and of God’s relation to the world” It really is a tragic thing that the American church belittles theology, for in doing so we minimize God’s very nature and existence. You see, theology isn’t about gaining a knowledge that puffs up,...
Put On Your Running Shoes!
The idea of loving God apart from Jesus is not only undesirable, it’s impossible. In Paul’s letter to Rome he tells us, “None is righteous…no one understands; no one seeks for God” (3:10-11). These words are nothing short of terrifying; yet we know that in the midst...
My Heart: What Do I Love?
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). I don't know if that verse falls heavy on you or not, but it sure does me. To "treasure" something simply means "This is where you place your highest value." In knowing that we can say,...
Jesus: The Glory of God
Sometimes we will look at God's Word and the creation that's all around us, and in that see magnificent truth about who God is. Other times it seems that we aren't looking for truth at all when it just hits us like a ton of bricks. This is what some people call...
Everyone Who Believes Will Be Saved
Something we Christians forget all too often to talk about Jesus any where and everywhere. God is doing work in individual lives. Yes. But we cannot forget the universal call to salvation which is much bigger than you and me. I think John Piper does a good job...
Practical Theology, Methodology, & the Gospel
Theology simply put means "the study of God." So practical theology would mean "practically studying God." Methodology, on the other hand, could be defined as "a particular procedure or set of procedures." What I am attempting to do here is tell you why I believe...