The Invitation of Envy The Bible is not naïve about the brokenness of the world around us. It doesn’t describe life according to our wishful thinking. No, it describes and matches life as it truly is. Proverbs 1:10–19 is a clear example of this. The passage is blunt, realistic, and disturbing because it shows how […]

If you knew today that you were going to be single for the rest of your life, how would you begin serving God? Perhaps this is the first time you have considered the possibility that you may be single for the rest of your life. This should prompt you to reflect on your own devotion […]

Recently I’ve been asking myself a simple question: What am I reaching for? My phone the moment I wake up. An energy drink before I’ve even fully opened my eyes. My wallet when I think buying one more thing might make life just a little better. These things aren’t inherently bad. They may not even […]

Plastered on my letter board in the main focal point of our home is Matthew 6:34. It reads, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” I am three days past my due date with my third baby, which means the […]

Counting the Days Ahead I tried to calculate what lay ahead. One emergency surgery. One tumor removed, along with part of my colon. An ileostomy bag. Six months of chemotherapy. An ileostomy reversal. Five weeks of recovery. Another month and a half of radiation. When I added it all together, the result came to nearly […]

We live in an anxious world. While these are certainly challenging times, in Christ we do not have to be anxious. We have a Father in heaven who knows us, loves us, and provides for our needs. Our Father is not anxious, and neither must we be. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives […]

I worked out today for the first time in four years. Yes, you read that right—four years. I’ve walked and done a few small things along the way, but today was the first time I stepped foot in a gym. As a former college athlete, my life used to revolve around getting faster, stronger, and […]

As I approach the end of my final year in seminary, the reality of applying to ministry jobs can feel like a consuming fire. Instead of reading for class, catching up with family, or recovering lost sleep, I am drawn to the ministry job boards. The pressure to apply my seminary learning in the right […]

“I know it’s not real, but I’m still afraid.” My son said this to me as he jumped into my arms when we were walking through a neighborhood full of shockingly creepy Halloween decorations. There was a robotic werewolf wrestling against the bars of a cage, shrouded in haze and flashing lights. “That’s okay, my […]

There is a memory that will forever be ingrained in mine and my wife’s story. Within the past year, my wife and I became foster parents and received our first placement—a sweet two-year-old girl. Our connection with her was immediate. Within a day of picking her up from the hospital, it felt like she was […]