Jesus said that if I adopt that self-focused mindset about the disciplines, I might get what I hope for – impressing my friends or achieving my goals – but God has no interest in that sort of discipli...  Read More

I promised then that I would write about five ways to engage with Scripture. Here I keep that promise....  Read More

1 Peter 3:15 is the classic apologetics text: “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason…â€...  Read More

Nanette and I just returned from our sixth trip to Albania. The first four were with the team that works at the summer camps. The camp ministry is a joint effort of two Cru ministries in Albania, the ...  Read More

When Christ is not preeminent, we are missing the point. ...  Read More

I found freedom in John 15. Freedom from thinking my initial belief is all God wants....  Read More

I expected dramatic changes. After all, wouldn’t spending hours alone with God revolutionize my life? Surely it would!...  Read More

God wants us to worship Him because He wants to see our lives aligned with, not against, the grain of the universe, which is aflame with praise for our Creator....  Read More

The Echo Chamber is dangerous because it warps my perception of reality and unnecessarily heightens my anxiety....  Read More

Thanks to a generous policy approved by the elder council, pastors are allowed (even encouraged) to take time away for a sabbatical. I concluded my sabbatical last week....  Read More

The psalmist asks God to do something that he (Moses) is incapable of doing: number his days that he may gain a heart of wisdom. It’s the realization that in comparison to eternity, our life is but a ...  Read More

Glory in Disguise is like reading a pilgrim’s journal. The book is broken up into short stories that exemplify biblical truths from Jan’s own life. Saturated with Scripture and complimented with poems...  Read More