(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on March 27, 2016) I’m really glad we’re here together today! This is our big day! This is the reason we have a church, have faith, have hope. Easter is when we celebrate the heart of our faith, the …
Read MoreThe Gate of the Lord
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on March 20, 2016) Movies do a great job of giving visual details to help us understand who is who in a movie. In some cases, the details even work within the movies to help someone discover their identity. …
Read MoreClearing Ground: Simon the Magician
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on March 13, 2016) The judgment of history looks different depending on what century you are in. If you were a time traveler and dropped in around 1500 BC, the Egyptian Empire was the mark of success. Fast forward …
Read MoreClearing Ground: The Woman at the Well
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on March 6, 2016) Can an outcast find acceptance and love from Jesus? I think if I frame the question that way, most everyone would say “Of course!” Part of why we so easily believe it to be true …
Read MoreClearing Ground: Solomon
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on February 28, 2016) Today we’re looking at Solomon’s life to see what we can learn about clearing ground in our lives, clearing ground and making room for what God wants to do in us. Solomon is a wonderful …
Read MoreClearing Ground: David
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on February 21, 2016) Have you thought much about what you want your last words to be? I’ve thought about making a will, and about doing financial planning. I’ve thought about what I’d like to be remembered for. But …
Read MoreRend Your Heart
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on February 14, 2016) ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious …
Read MoreClearing Ground
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on February 7, 2016) Farming metaphors are so wonderful for the spiritual life! This is a bit of a problem for me, because…I’m not a farmer. I’m not a gardener even. I don’t naturally speak “farm”. But I think …
Read MoreFlee, Embrace, or Sift? Taking Back Agency as a Christian in Pop Culture
(Given at George Fox University on January 25, 2016, as part of the LACI lectures) Thanks for the chance to speak here tonight! Here’s what I hope to do tonight. I want to explore these ideas about pop culture: Flee, Embrace, or Sift? Taking Back Agency …
Read MoreGod’s Crown of Splendor for the Broken
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on January 17, 2016) I was an extremely picky eater when I was a kid. I did not like things that were different. I can still hear my dad’s voice in my head as he would order for me …
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