Jesus told a story once about two builders who each built a brand new house, one on rock and the other on sandy soil. The houses were assaulted by a ferocious storm. Torrents of rain pounded against them. Flood waters rose against their walls. And as a result, the house built on the sandy ground came crashing to the ground, while the other, built on a solid foundation, stood strong. Jesus went on to say that it is only when we choose to build our lives on the solid foundation of a life with Him, will the “house” of your life stand strong against the storms of life. So, what does it look like to build this kind of durable life? How do we build on the firm foundation of a life with Jesus? Besides attending church, what can we do to strengthen the spiritual foundations of our lives?

Apr 26, 2009 – A Time for Relationship
It’s been said that relationships would be amazing if it weren’t for the people. That feels true. Whether we think about romantic encounters, friendships or even business associates, engaging in relationships is one of the most complex tasks we face in life. And that’s with people we can see! What does it mean for us to live in a relationship with God, an infinite spirit with no shape or form that we can’t see or hear? What does it look like to have a meaningful, powerful, transformative relationship with God?

May 3, 2009 – A Time for Solitude
When did you last experience a moment of genuine silence? No radio or iPod, no cell phone or conversation, no traffic noise or advertisements, just silence? Our lives are filled with “voices” that tell us how to think, feel, and behave, yet most of us struggle to hear the one voice that we crave in our life: the voice of God. What if our ability to hear God was directly related to our experience of solitude and silence? What if we could learn to hear his voice if we could learn to tune out the noise? How would that radically change everything?

May 10, 2009 – A Time For Meditation
The Bible insists, and the Church teaches, that the Bible is an utterly unique book in human history. It is more than simply one more philosophical or spiritual writing in the global library of religious history. The Bible claims to be the inspired word of God himself, the book through which God speaks to humankind. So, how do we hear God’s voice in this book he inspired? How do we understand what God has been trying to say to humanity? Most importantly, how do we take what we understand and allow it to radically transform our lives?

May 17, 2009 – A Time for Prayer
On the surface, prayer seems like a relatively straightforward idea. I ask God for what I want and he answers by giving it to me. Isn’t that simply beautiful? And beautifully simple? It is, except that it doesn’t always feel like anyone is listening. And God doesn’t always give us whatever we ask for. Besides, is that really the point in the first place? Or is there something else, something deeper, going on in prayer? Does prayer play a more fundamental role in our life with God? And, if so, what is it and how do I pray in order to experience it?

May 24, 2009 – A Time for Simplicity
There is a fundamental assumption at work in our culture that drives most of what many of us do with every moment of every day of our lives: more is better. More money is better than less money. More toys are better than fewer toys. More food is better than less food. More busyness is better than less busyness. It begs the question: what is this fascination with “more” doing to our relationship with the planet, with the poor and with each other? Most importantly, what does a “more is better” life to do our relationship with God?

May 31, 2009 – A Time for Celebration
If the last month has taught us anything, it is that training ourselves to be the Christ-followers we’ve become is HARD work. It takes dedication and determination. Yet, hopefully, if the last month has illustrated anything, it is that the fruit of all of this work is the ever-deepening joy of connecting with God; a joy worth celebrating, a joy that empowers us for our life with him. How would it utterly transform our understanding of God and our relationship with him if only we could learn to live with the joy of being transformed into his image?