On Sunday, we discussed the importance of resurrection friends who love Jesus. Australian poet Michael Leunig offers a prayer for friends for the week: “We give thanks for our friends Our dear friends. We anger each other We fail each other We share this sad earth, this tender life, This precious time. Such richness. Such […]
Read More »Last night, I concluded our second season of Life Groups with a huddle of eight leaders. Since last September, Josh Hall has led an initiative to reach the unreached, unchurched, and uninvolved through relationships. We trained over 40 participants to use the natural networks of their lives and invite unreached people to have spiritual conversations. […]
Read More »Zach baptized two students Sunday morning who participated in the Boston mission trip, dedicated their lives to following Jesus, and were commissioned two summer missions. This puts them in the category of someone like Saul. According to Acts, he was baptized and very quickly embarked on his first mission experience. For believers, the Bible treats […]
Read More »Each week during the “Love Jesus” series, we’ll be sharing testimonies and showing examples of people committed to resurrection love. Through their actions, they’re showing a Christlike lifestyle in our community. One such model is in our college ministry. Sunday evening marks the end of the spring season for college ministry. What a remarkable year […]
Read More »There is nothing quite like getting away with a group of friends to rest, renew, and dream. This past week, I’ve had the privilege of spending a few days with deacons and staff in separate retreats. Our themes were the same. We heard reports from our strategic planning process, discussed some of the more challenging […]
Read More »Loving Jesus is a daily decision to show and demonstrate the presence of Christ in our lives. During Connections Weekend in February, Scot McKnight called love a “rugged commitment.” It’s more than a feeling or a set of principles. Loving Jesus binds us to Him and his followers. Sometimes it requires a difficult climb over […]
Read More »Last week, I blogged about the homework of Holy Week. This week, it’s time to enjoy the liturgy, literally “public work,” of Holy Week. The word used most often by mainline Protestant and traditional churches to describe worship “liturgy” comes from an old Latin word liturgia. Originally,” liturgy” referred to things that we call today […]
Read More »Thursday before Palm Sunday is the day my pastoral homework is usually due. Holy Week is like final exams. No more time for studying. It’s time to proclaim what you know. So usually the Thursday before Palm Sunday I finish the homework to be ready for the worship work. So let me share with you […]
Read More »One of the greatest opportunities we have to share the gospel is often the most overlooked—Easter Sunday. More people—including the unchurched—want to go to church on this day than any other. On April 5, we will proclaim that we have seen the crucified and risen Jesus Christ in Tallahassee. Help us get ready for this […]
Read More »The hardest word in the English language to teach ourselves to use is “No.” That’s why we have lent. For 40 days before Easter, we pause to deprive ourselves of something so that we can focus on following Jesus. We learn to do what he told us to do: deny ourselves, take up our cross […]
Read More »