Work can cause serious struggle in our lives. Some of us are unemployed. Others are underemployed. A few of us are in the jobs we spent years training for, but have since discovered it wasn’t what we expected. Most of us wonder about what we do every day. Does it really matter? In the message… Read More Work: Am I Making a Difference?
As I mentioned in my recent sermon, I have learned a lot from the celibate, gay Christian community over the past several years. One such voice is author and blogger Eve Tushnet. Eve shares her perspective as a lesbian woman in the church who loves Scripture and embraces Jesus’ teachings about sex, marriage and lust.… Read More The Struggle is Real: Learning from the celibate, gay christian community
Lust is real. In all its forms, lust is a reality for all of us. Sexual lust seems to be at the top of the powerful forces on this planet. Or at least perhaps in our culture. Why do I lust? Where do these seemingly out-of-control desires come from? Why is the act of lusting… Read More Lust: A Temporary Fix
With The Struggle is Real series, we’re taking time to be brutally honest about the many ways in which life is hard. We’re living in the tension between the kind of people Jesus invites us to be, the transformed life he empowers us to live, and the strong forces that pull us in other directions.… Read More The Struggle is Real: Breaking the Power of Pornography
When a friend, family member, or co-worker in our life is struggling with depression (or a similar struggle), it can be hard to know how to come alongside them. In our efforts to be helpful, we may say things that are not helpful. Or, if we don’t know what to say, we may withdraw completely.… Read More When someone in my life is struggling, how can I help?
My first job that produced a flow of money into my pocket was a paper route in 8th grade. At the end of each month I had a wad of cash that I quickly spent on whatever shiny object caught my attention. It took years before I established any disciplines of saving or giving. As… Read More Next Steps Toward Financial Peace
We first met Cedric in 2015 when he came to perform a spoken-word piece at the Madison & Race Forum. We’re so thankful he was willing to come back to share a new piece for The Struggle is Real series. We had the opportunity to sit down with Cedric and ask him a few questions… Read More Interview with Cedric Dale Hoard
My first real journey down the path of grief was when my mother died. My mom passed away 10 years ago this past December. It came after her six-year battle with cancer. In many ways it was neither tragic nor sudden. But I never expected to lose my mom this way. If I’m honest, I… Read More Surprised by Grief
We recently sat down with artist Marissa Recker to discuss the piece she created for Worship Where You Are. For Marissa, art has been an outlet to process feelings of stress and anxiety. Q: Marissa, tell us a little bit about this piece and how it came to be. A: The piece started as a way… Read More Processing Anxiety Through Art
During Worship Where You Are, we were encouraged by Chris to take some time to remember what God has done in our lives. One of the ways we see “remembering” in the Bible is when, after a difficult battle with the Philistines, Samuel marked the Israelite victory with a stack of stones. He named… Read More Series Introduction: The Struggle Is Real