There is a particular kind of restlessness that comes from chasing what doesn't satisfy. You know it: the promotion that felt hollow after you got it, the relationship that promised fulfillment but delivered complexity, the approval you worked so hard to win that evaporated the moment you let someone down. We accumulate, achieve, and arrange... Continue Reading →

Some falls are explosive. Others happen out of sight. Solomon’s fall did not start with a public denial. It started with loves that felt workable. Alliances that felt wise. Choices that looked manageable. Then Scripture speaks with clean force. His heart turned. “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh:... Continue Reading →

To my friends who preach and teach, What do you plan to offer on Sunday? If the answer takes shape on Monday by whatever happened over the weekend, this is worth reading. My own methodology did not change overnight. It began with something practical. A few short series, just to lower the pressure. That practical... Continue Reading →

Traditional site of Jesus’ baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas), Jordan. "On the banks of the Jordan, our King is revealed. He humbles Himself. He is anointed by the Spirit. He is affirmed by the Father." That scene in Matthew 3 is quiet and thunderous at the same time. A river. A prophet. A... Continue Reading →

This photo shows about 9 ounces of sourdough starter descended from the Carl Griffith 1847 Oregon Trail starter. It’s from a live culture sample from the 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Preservation Society, often called Carl’s Friends, a group that keeps the starter going and shares it with others. The picture captures the starter just after... Continue Reading →