In the past few weeks, I’ve been noticing that our church, as a whole, doesn’t get very excited about congregational worship. It is something that seems to be important to the church. There are two staff members, Aaron and Steph whose entire job is about preparing for worship and worshipping. We have worship every Sunday…
This summer, our focus with Fusion is on the simple question: what does it look like for us to live our lives as citizens of God’s kingdom? Simple Question. Big Answers. “What does it look like for us to be daily followers of Christ?” may be a simple question and honestly, we could take a…
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” –William Shakespeare (from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques). The world’s a stage We may concede, along with Shakespeare, that this life we live is a play, with its costumes, its lines, its drama, its comedy, and its tragedy. If this…
Why I hate rain Let me start this off with a fact. I don’t like rain. Sure, I played in it as a child. Sure, I know that without it plants cannot grow. But I realized my disdain when it rained for two straight days. There was no sunshine, it was cold, and it was…
What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions the word “boast?” Personally, I think of someone bragging or showing lots of visible pride in some talent or skill that they possess. Fortunately, the Bible has a lot to say about “boasting” and what this means for us if we’re really trying to…
The work of growing I have had multiple conversations lately in which people expressed the concern that they do not feel like they are “growing spiritually.” I have felt this same concern in my own life. Typically, this concern has lead to frustration and even doubt that God can work in and through me. The…
Is Jesus better than success? I’ve heard it said before that Christianity is just another empty promise to make people successful. You believe it will make you a good husband or father; wife or mother. You believe it will make you wealthy by receiving God’s blessings. You believe it will give you eternal riches in…
Is Jesus better than lust? This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear him pass; He speaks to me everywhere. -Maltbie Babcock, 1901 We can so emphasize the necessity of setting our minds above that we effectively deny the goodness of God’s creation. -Joe Rigney, 2014…
Is Jesus Better? When I was a freshman in high school, I remember talking to an older Christian who was trying to be a leader to me. I asked him how it is that “religious people” (as I called them), were able to resist the temptation to have sex before marriage. He didn’t answer the…
God Doesn’t Need Us After recently returning from Gatlinburg, NC and seeing the destruction left behind the wake of the historic fire, I’ve been thinking a lot about what servanthood means. If our goal is to emulate the life of Jesus while we’re on earth, then shouldn’t we all strive to make ourselves servants just…