Our Best Efforts Are Useless Without God’s Blessing

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalm 127:1, ESV Psalm 127 is a wisdom psalm or poem that’s part of a trilogy:127,128, & 133. And that trilogy is part of a larger collection of “pilgrimage psalms” or “Songs of Ascent” … Read More

Finding Peace in a Global Pandemic

So much has happened these last few weeks and things keep changing every day! Praying for all of us to stay safe, flexible, and know how to navigate our responsibilities and callings in the coming days. The practical angst related to an incredulous lack of toilet paper aside, the more difficult quest for most of us is the search for serenity… Be … Read More

A Critique of Gothardism, Part 2 of 5

As an exercise in discernment, this series critiques the teaching associated with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), Advanced Training Institute International (ATI), and specifically their founder, Bill Gothard. His teaching includes a myriad of distortions and this post addresses examples under the first two of six main areas (listed at the end of Part 1): the use of … Read More

My Favorite Making Life Disciples Story of 2018

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. (Psa. 116:5, NRSV) I have the privilege of leading a national ministry that’s intimately connected to the heart of God. In short, my job is to promote the use of a ministry tool called Making Life Disciples (MLD) that’s designed to equip a select group of individuals in a local … Read More