Every conversation I have with @courtneyellis.bsky.social I learn. Her last book on grief was a great help to me and I’m excited to start the next one “Weathering Change” Change finds all of us. The question isn’t if change will come, it’s whether we’re ready for it and how will we adapt.

One of the lies that current culture is forming within us is that being loud is the same as being faithful. I’m coming to beliveve that courage looks like staying patient, kind, and gentle in a system that rewards rage and anger.

Habakkuk reminds us that there is a difference between Faithful Doubt and Faithless Cynicism. Faithful doubt stays in the conversation. Cynicism leaves and calls it “wisdom.”

Applause is a drug. And When you’re young in ministry, it’s easy to get addicted. The shift from “I need God” to “God needs me” is slow and subtle. But inevitable if we don’t guard our hearts. Only one is worthy of worship. It’s Not me. Or you. It’s Jesus. Only Jesus. Always Jesus.

Applause is a drug. And When you’re young in ministry, it’s easy to get addicted. The shift from “I need God” to “God needs me” is slow and subtle. But inevitable if we don’t guard our hearts. Only one is worthy of worship. It’s Not me. Or you. It’s Jesus. Only Jesus. Always Jesus.

Habakkuk reminds us that Babylon is never a surprise villain. They are always admired before they are feared. The seeds of judgment are most often planted during a season of pride.

Habakkuk reminds us that God is never unaware and never idle. He sees every act of injustice and does not shrug at oppression or violence. That truth is comforting for those suffering from And it is convicting for those who benefit from evil and injustice. God is watching. And He is at work.

Habakkuk names five woes over nations: - Exploitative economics - Security built on injustice - Violence as strength - Dehumanization for profit - Idolatry A nation shaped by these isn’t walking with Christ, but marching to the rhythms of Babylon…

Hey quick let’s all get likes and rage clicks by shaming churches!!!! We only have like a week before we’ll need to come up with another reason!! *yawn*

I hope that however your church family worshiped yesterday, your Sabbath was a blessing not a burden. A delight not a difficulty. Because as Jesus reminds us, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Merry Christmas, looking forward to the new year ahead!

Advent reminds us that fear doesn’t have to drive our hearts. It calls us to “Fear Not” not as a command to obey, but an invitation to rest in We can fear not because God - has heard us. - favors us. - has a plan for us. - brings good news to us. And most of all … God is with us.

As one great theologian (Dumbledore) once said: “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Today is the darkest day of the year. We’ve all lived through our own nights—dark nights of the soul, when the Son seems absent and the shadows linger. But I’m stubbornly hopeful that darkness never gets the final word. The light has come. And the darkness will not overcome it.

Not that anyone needs to hear this from me… BUT: Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just the best of the Knives Out series, but it’s quite likely one of my favorite movies of the year. If you haven’t seen it and you even moderately liked the first two, I’d check it out!

While politicians plotted and theologians postured, heaven sang its greatest announcement to shepherds; unclean, overlooked, tolerated only when they were useful. 1/2

If your pastor has been credibly accused of plagiarism, removed from a church network, resigned instead of dealing with accountability and discipline after being found to have “patterns of persistent sinful behavior” by his elders. I urge you to find another church.

My “life goals” have changed. I used to have a number that I wanted to preach to. I thought writing a book and touring to promote it would give me purpose. These desires have dwindled down nearly to one: “Make much of Jesus!” Most everything else is noise and distraction.

Paul’s instructions for leaders in the Church: Not argumentative Kind to everyone Able to teach Not resentful Able to humbly teach even those who disagree Not mocking those who are spiritually blind, but gently guiding them towards the truth Hope for the repentance of all

Violence is never the way of Jesus. It is never the way forward. I will continue to condemn any sort of political rhetoric that insights violence, and political violence of all kinds. People are made in the image of God and must be treated as such.

Community isn’t an accessory to faith—it’s the environment where faith breathes. Because the Gospel wasn’t written for a soloist… it was written for a choir!

Life is full of noise. Notifications. Responsibilities. It’s easy to drift out of rhythm. Worship combats. It recenters us to God, realigns our priorities, and re-stories from scarcity and fear to abundance and grace. Worship invites us reclaim our rhythm.

There is an appropriate amount of discernment needed. However, be careful that as you cultivate critical thinking you don't become a critical person. If we get more enjoyment out of critiquing than we do participating, we have become dangerously addicted to the drugs of snark and sarcasm.

The fact that there is more outrage in Christianity at a Cracker Barrel making chages, than there is at any number of actual atrocities around the world, shows that we have an absolute failure of discipleship!

I’m finding more and more we may leave harmful theological environments, but we keep all the worst of the attitudes and worldviews that went with them. It’s like throwing out the baby and keeping the bath water. I’m interested in what the deconstruction from the deconstruction brand will look like

Please be careful my friends, that you do not let your hearts get so hardened, that human life means very little to you. This is not the way.

We need to be careful what we hold with clenched fists thinking we could never be wrong. What’s something you were almost certain about, but now you see you were mistaken. If you can’t think of anything, be careful that your pride isn’t driving you more than truth is!!

Can someone show me where in scripture the idea that “Old Testament laws” were “resurrected with Jesus”?

This morning at CrossPoint 16 people were baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Some utterly amazing stories of life transformation! God is good!!!

I’m proud to be part of a theological heritage that was on the forefront of Women’s suffrage, fought for the abolition of slavery, and is consistently pro life because it recognizes the image of God in all. I pray that we do not give up our birthright for a bowl of nasty porridge.

-We are created to Love God and be Loved by Him. -We are created to Love others and live in community with them. -We are created to serve others as an overflow of our Love for God and our Love for people! -We are created to steward and enjoy His good Creation. What else?

What I’m really waiting for is @mikecosper.bsky.social’s 8 part podcast expose on 2019-2022 Weird Christian Twitter.

It is easier to blame boogey men and monsters “out there” than deal with actual sin in our lives. But like Sardis in Revelation and “When a Stranger Calls” the real threat is coming from the inside. Until we recognize and deal with it, we will continue to play the blame game.

So… can anyone show me where in scripture a “Jezebel Spirit” is found? I’ll give you a hint: nowhere, because it doesn’t exist.

If our gospel is a power grab, if it keeps us comfortable and seems to always be about other's wrongs, if I'm known for what I hate more than who I love, These are all signs that we have mixed, that I have confused, the kingdoms of Babylon with the Kingdom of God.

Here is your occasional reminder that wordy doesn’t mean deep and entertaining doesn’t automatically equal shallow. If something proclaims truth and inspires to goodness it is transformatively deep ESPECIALLY if it does this in a beautiful way!!

The most powerfully destructive force in the world is an unbridled tongue. One that blesses God and curses our fellow man. Our speech is never “just words” it is either giving life or spewing forth death.

As Christians, We are not called to success as we often define it. We are not called to effectiveness as the metrics of the world would measure. We are called to faithfulness.

Some have told you to, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of God.

Babylon operates in a way that should be foreign to followers of Christ. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” But our weapons tear down strongholds just the same!!!

Recently the IRS has said they will no longer take tax exempt status of churches who endorse political candidates from the pulpit. I want to make something clear. I haven’t done this before, not because the IRS said I couldn’t, but because the pulpit is for the Gospel of Jesus.

Caesar, the High Priest of Babylon claimed the title of savior, promising peace through power and brutality. But the Prince of Peace of The New Jerusalem came not to conquer kingdoms, but to serve mankind seeking and saving the lost. And if Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not.

Your citizenship can be in Babylon or New Jerusalem, but it can't be both. Babylon is seductive but destructive. It whispers gifts of power, prestige, and position, security and significance if you'll just bow. In the end we find that we've gained the world but traded our soul.

Here’s some truths I’ve gleaned from the book of Esther, perhaps they will provide some comfort, or some conviction: God is present in the silence. God’s promises are not forgotten. God’s people are not abandoned. God’s providence is always working. God’s Justice will roll.

One of the greatest disservices we can do to the Gospel is make the Good News sound a whole lot like Bad News!

We have a strong inclination to want to judge other groups by their worst actions and want ourselves to be judged by our best intentions.

I'm convinced there is a subset of Christianity that would be THRILLED if Heaven were empty and Hell were full... and would be utterly devastated if Hell were empty and Heaven were full.

A good general rule is: (most of the time) We need to be careful when we have a strong desire to make Scripture mean to us what it didn’t or couldn’t mean to its original hearers. And if we have a strong desire to make it so, we need to check our motivation.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God…

One of the sins of the Churches in Revelation? They had sound doctrine but no love. These should not, CAN NOT be separated, if we are to remain as healthy churches connected to the life giving message of Jesus.

I sense that one of the messages of the Book of Revelation is: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” Psalm 146