This might be an unpopular opinion
You don’t need to respond to every comment.
There was a time that responding to every comment on Medium mattered. It helped you engage with others. There was useful discourse. And it would help you grow your following.
But that time has passed.
I barely ever respond to comments on Medium anymore. Not because I don’t care. Or because I think I am better than anyone. But because there are rarely comments that need a response. So often, I get one of these types of responses:
“Great piece, well written!” (But nothing else)
“I completely disagree…” (Insert laundry list of…
We sit in good company
I will never forget the time that I realized I didn’t have enough faith to see something through that God called me to do.
Shortly after graduating college, God called me into full-time ministry. Not as a pastor or a missionary in another country, but as a stateside operations person for a well-known Christian organization.
I was so excited to jump into this new adventure. And, I felt positive that God would bless everything that I would do since it was the first time I really experienced a clear call from God to do something.
Several months into it, however…
Giving up our lives and taking up his
Jesus asks much of those who follow him, but he doesn’t ask a lot of those who don’t. Just after graduating college and working in my field, I realized Jesus was asking me to do something more than running sports events.
He was calling me down a road that I was not sure I wanted to travel.
Yet, the pull was strong, and the signs were there, and Jesus was making it clear to me. He was asking a lot of me, especially now that I had started the career I had been dreaming to do for years.
I remember…
It doesn’t matter who you are when it comes to God’s Kingdom
Christians forget sometimes that Jesus didn’t discriminate when it came to miracles, signs, and wonders.
Sure, there are places in the Bible that tell us he was sent specifically for the people of Israel. But, ultimately, he never withheld healing to those who believe in him.
In our world today, we see such polarization. People are separated by religion, values, politics, economics, etc. We see this happening in our local communities, states, and nations. And, it is easy to get sucked into this reality with everything that blasts us with information.
Unfortunately, the church is right in the middle of…
It makes it hard to keep going sometimes
This last week, I launched my latest book, a devotional guide on the Gospel of John. I was so excited to get it out and into the hands of people around me. It has been a project that has been in my heart for a long time.
I did all the promotional activities you should do for any book: ads, social media, email newsletter, and ongoing posts pointing to the book.
Overall, the book received a great reception and even became a #1 Bestseller! But, there were some dark spots on the launch. …
What the loaves and fishes really tell us about God’s Kingdom
People always have a problem when a well-known Christian is wealthy. We see it over and over again. This pastor drives that car. That pastor lives in that house or neighborhood. Whether Christian or not, pastors are always being judged on their wealth.
This seems unusual to me because we don’t judge professional athletes, politicians, or CEOs on their wealth. It is almost as if everyone expects Christians to be poor.
I know when I was in college I went to Italy for a summer. While touring through the great churches of the culture and the Vatican there was something…
What the resurrection of Jesus really means for us
Before we go and celebrate Easter, I thought it would be good to look at a quick exert from my latest book. This portion of my book shares the importance of what Jesus being raised from the dead is for the world, not only the Christian.
I hope you find this encouraging and if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the responses below!
What The Resurrection of Jesus Means For Us Today
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and…
The tipping point for the world
I struggle with the fact that we call today Good Friday. There is nothing good about it. Yes. I get it. It’s good because Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected so we could have a direct connection to God.
I still don’t like it though.
However, it is important for sure. Today we reflect on the tipping point for human history. It is the day when God’s plan to reconcile his people to him goes into full swing.
So, today, I wanted to bring you to the scriptures with very little added and let you read and experience…
7 stories to better understand God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. (Matthew 13:34, NLT)
There is nothing worse than the way people will speak in riddles. Whether it is at work, home, or the supermarket, I just can’t stand it when someone answers my questions with questions or tells some odd, long story that takes me nowhere.
Oddly enough, this is an age-old problem. People have been doing this for years. Most notably was Jesus. He would tell parables or stories to help people understand what he…
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar, but not John
After spending an entire summer reading the Gospel of John, I remember returning to college with questions. Mostly, because I read the other Gospels too, and I noticed something, John was different from the others.
“Why?”
Sitting across the table from my mentor, I pulled out the legal pad he had given me from the spring before. On it, I had dozens of questions about my newfound faith.
The one I wanted to focus on that day was not a simple one to answer, but it was one that perplexed me all summer long:
Why is the Gospel of John…
