We live in a world of darkness. We just recently experienced the longest night of the year. Outside it is cold and dark. For many this time of year is a reminder of all those we have lost. But the world is dark in other ways. So much of the news we see and hear is darkness. In just the
The longer I live, the more I realize that everyone is looking for a place where they belong. Jesus talked a lot about a place like that. He called it the Kingdom of God.
Sometimes Christians will call the Bible “the Word.” Saying we are rooted in the Word is another way of saying that we desire to follow the will of God outlined in the Bible.
For us being planted by God means that we put our faith in Jesus. We draw from Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17. If we put our trust in God then we can be assured that He will provide for us.
It’s hard to believe that two years ago this month Bethany and I had just moved to Chicago. We moved here because we knew that God wanted to use us to plant a church here. In fact He wanted to plant a church in this neighborhood. We know this because He is the only reason we were able to live
If you grew up in the church then you know that questions are not always seen as good things. They are often explicitly prohibited or implicitly silenced. I think there are several reasons for this. Perhaps the most common is that the people being asked the questions don’t have answers themselves. Rather than admit their ignorance they either give some
I was reminded of the Orthodox practice of icons because I think it is one of the most tangible ways that Christians have created to express the reality of the presence of God among us.
I want to start this update off with a thank you to everyone who has given to the 50/50 plan. Bethany and I would not have gotten through the last few moths without that support. Even so we are only at 42% of our goal. If you want to support us (through the 50/50 or just in general) you can
We are solidly in the Advent Season. It gets dark at 4pm, the weather is cold, and you can’t turn on the radio without hearing Mariah Carey. Advent is a time of reflection and anticipation. Reflection on the ways God has broken the darkness in the past. And anticipation for the time when God will ultimately defeat darkness for good.
We have faith that God will provide the means for us to continue to build His church here in Chicago. We are thankful for those of you that are already partnering with us on this journey, whether financially or through prayer. And we excitedly look forward to see what God has planed for this next year.
