Category: God/Theology/Pastoral
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The Human Need for a Good Story
I’ve been re-reading Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller and keep mulling over his observation that humans are drawn to story because it reflects life so accurately: Setting, Conflict, Climax and Resolution. Considering this, I think one of the difficulties for us living when we do is that the climax to the whole story,…
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Speaking in a different language
Do you think about communication very much? It consumes me. Maybe its because I’m a pastor, maybe because communication was part of my college training, mostly its because of my interaction with people who don’t share my faith in Jesus. Here’s a basic reality I’ve learned about communication: it helps when both parties are talking…
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Prayer requests that are too big (and a baby update!)
Sometimes my orthodoxy (what I believe and what is theologically acceptable) and my orthopraxy (how I live out my orthodoxy) collide in obvious ways. Lately, I notice the conflict most in my prayer life. About two weeks ago, this challenge occurred again. My wife Kim is now almost 13 weeks pregnant. When we visited the…
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G.K. Chesterton
A few months ago I started working my way through some of the “Old Books.” With the enormous amount of literature, its hard to know where to start! G.K. Chesterton’s writings have influenced some of the great thinkers of the 20th century, so I wanted to be sure to spend some time with him. I’ve…
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Qur’an (Koran) Burning
Our relationship with Muslims has obviously been tenuous over the last decade, and it seems to be elevated even more as we hit this season of Eid. From the “ground zero mosque” to the burning of the Koran by the nut in Florida, we’re not doing a good job of making friends in the Middle…
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Old Paris and New Paris
Last night Kim confiscated my Mac so she could participate in Leading and Loving It’s “Just ONE Conference.” So, to pass the time, I scoped out what we had on the DVR. The 100th episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations was sitting on there and, because Kim really doesn’t like watching him, it was the…
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Transformational Small Churches: Guest Post from Christian Phuoc-lanh Phan
This is a re-post from Ed Stetzer’s Blog. I really enjoy reading what he has to say. He is spending time soon discussing small churches who grasp the weight of God’s calling and are becoming transformational. In the lead up to that discussion, he highlighted this Vietnamese pastor and his church in Washington. Seeing as…
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Isaac or Jacob?
Have you ever read the Genesis account of Isaac’s life? If you’ve ever tried to read through your Bible in a year, then you may have read it a few times before giving up somewhere late in Exodus. One verse I find interesting is in Chapter 26: Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug…
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I’ve Heard a Word from the Lord…
I love the book of Job. It is the Bible’s version of a horror movie. Our worst fears are all summed up in its 42 chapters: extreme loss, abandonment, loneliness, disease, betrayal, false accusations….the list goes on and on. Furthermore, one of the most majestic and awe-inspiring sections in Scripture describing the glory of God…
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Our Day at Urban Promise
I really dislike manual labor. Seriously. I know, with manual labor comes the satisfaction that you’ve actually accomplished something. You can look at a completed house or pathway or deck and say, “I’ve built that.” I understand, but I still don’t like it. Strangely, though, manual labor seems to follow me wherever I go. I’ve…
Pastor Jeremy Stephens 