category
Search by topic, scripture, category etc..
113 Results in 914ms
Display
Sorted By
-
illustration
The Shower Provides Great Ideas
Why do my best ideas come to me in the shower? I feel like my IQ is at least twenty points higher while lathering up than at any other time of the day. And I’m not alone in finding my light bulb momen... -
illustration
Finding Lost Treasure
In 1991, a yet-to-be-identified flea market enthusiast discovered a simple picture frame to his liking. Securing the purchase, the shopper returned home only to discover an ancient document hiding inc... -
Quote
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. -
illustration
The Land of O-Z
The American writer and journalist Frank Lyman Baum found that his first book began when a band of children, including his own four sons, asked him to tell a story one night in their home in Chicago. ... -
illustration
Limits Fuel Creativity
We often think of limits as means of restriction, but the truth is far more complex. In certain situations, limitations actually fuel creativity. Consider this short excerpt on the creative writing pr... -
illustration
Pursuing the Common Good in Community
In 2017 Rebekah Morris was teaching English and journalism at Cross Keys High School, a public high school in Atlanta. Noticing that her students had really important, insightful things to say about t... -
blog
Acknowledging the Pain: Thoughts From the Founders Desk
This past week I have been at a reunion with college friends (this is the main reason I missed last week's update). It's been significant for a number of reasons. I hope to unpack a few other ... -
illustration
Playing Busy like a Fiddle While the World Burns
As early as April 2020, a debate raged about the responsibilities of those of us turned safely inside during this global storm. For those time privileged enough to find their calendars suddenly cleare... -
illustration
Stories Synchronize our Brains
Groundbreaking work by Dr. Uri Hasson has shown that the brain of an individual listening to a story actually synchronizes with the brain of the individual telling the story—an event known as neural c... -
blog
Cultivating a Spirit of Generosity: A Pastoral Call to Year-End Giving
As a five-year-old at Christmas I remember how excited I was to get my first bike. It was a yellow BMX Huffy, a mean machine for a kid in the late 70s. It is one of my fondest memories because I remem... -
blog
Spare: Privilege and Pain
What do the royals and a Rorschach test have in common? Both provoke reactions that tell us more about the attitudes and beliefs of the beholder than about the object of their gaze. This is not to say... -
illustration
Betting on Jesus
We didn’t have a lot of rules [at the food pantry at St. Gregory, an Episcopal congregation in San Francisco]. You could be a drunk or junkie, but you couldn’t volunteer if you were high. You couldn’t... -
Quote
The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society const... -
Quote
Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothi... -
Quote
The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the o... -
illustration
The Forces Behind Modern-Day Advertising
Advertising as we now know it started not on Madison Avenue but in another city: Berlin. With another group of power brokers: the Nazis. They took the ideas of an Austrian psychotherapist named Freud,... -
illustration
What do We Mean by “Culture?”
Not very long ago, “culture” commonly referred to what is now meant by “high culture.” For instance, we might have said, “She has such a cultured voice.” If a person read Shakespeare, Goethe, Gore Vid... -
illustration
Set Aside Your Culture when Reading the Bible
Rather than translating the culture, then, we need to try to enter the culture. When people want to study the Bible seriously, one of the steps they take is to learn the language. As I teach language ... -
illustration
Preaching on the Same Topic
John Chrystostom was an early church father and Bishop of Constantinople from 347-407. The name “Chrysostom” is not a surname, but rather an epithet “golden tongued,” given to him because of his excel... -
illustration
The Owner of the Universe
The biblical theology of creation is a negation of theories of private” property and “public” property, our theories of individual ownership and collective or governmental ownership. The biblical view... -
Quote
The process of spiritual formation in Christ is one of progressively replacing . . . destructive images and ideas with the images and ideas that filled the mind of Jesus himself. -
illustration
A Better Idea
A businessman well known for his ruthlessness once announced to writer Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments alo... -
illustration
The Cave
The Cave One of the most famous passages in Plato's Republic is his "Allegory of the Cave," which is found at the beginning of book seven . Socrates imagines the human condition al... -
illustration
Room Re-Design
Find the room where your family spends the most time and ruthlessly eliminate the things that ask little of you and develop little in you. Move the TV to a less central location—and ideally a less com... -
blog
What is the Christian Imagination Deficit? How Do We Fix It?
There Are No Ordinary Things J. R. R. Tolkien tells a short story about an ordinary fellow who just wants to finish a painting. Over time, he is constantly distracted by the requests of his neighbors... -
illustration
Imagination Heightens Patience
In a study at UC Berkeley conducted by Adrianna Jenkins and Ming Hsu, it was discovered imagination may be the pathway needed to uncover patience. The study found when we imagine possible outcomes, it... -
illustration
How Stories are being used by Companies to Shape Character
Why a story? We all think of our lives as stories, each with a main character (us) theme, and plot (interesteing so far, but as yet unfinished). We also love to hear stories about others and even abou... -
illustration
Stories Teach Us about How the World Works
A good story goes beyond just describing what actually happened. It tells us about how the world works more broadly, in ways that pertain to things that didn’t actually happen or at least haven’t happ... -
Quote
Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking. -
blog
Sermon Illustration Tuesday (10.16.18)
Tom and Angela had lived in their neighborhood for about twelve years without really getting to know many people. They lived in a cul-de-sac of eleven houses and had limited communication and interact...
Page 1 of 4
Top Level Categories by Topic
A
- Abandonment
- Abiding in Christ
- Ability
- Abolition of Slavery
- Abraham
- Abundance
- Abuse
- Acceptance
- Accidents
- Accountability
- Achievement
- Actions
- Activities
- Adaptability
- Addiction
- Advent
- Adventure
- Advertisements
- Advertising
- Advice
- Affairs
- Affection
- Affirmation
- Affluence
- Aging
- Agriculture
- Aim
- Alcohol
- Alcoholism
- All Saints' Day
- Allegiance
- Alone
- Ambassadors
- Ambition
- America
- Anger
- Animals
- Anonymity
- Anti-Intellectualism
- Antinomianism
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- Appearances
- Architecture
- Arrested
- Arrogance
- Art
- Arts
- Assimilation
- Assumptions
- Atheism
- Athletics
- Attacks
- Attention
- Attention-Spans
- Authenticity
- Authority
- Avoidance
- Awareness
- Awe
- The American Dream
- The Ancient World
B
- Balance
- Baptism
- Barriers
- Baseball
- Bearing Fruit
- Beauty
- Beginnings
- Behavior
- Behavior Modification
- Being A Child Of God
- Being Humbled
- Being Lost
- Being Right
- Being Stuck
- Belief
- Beliefs
- Believing in God
- Believing in Jesus
- Belonging
- Beloved
- Beyond Understanding
- Bias
- Bible Interpretation
- Birth
- Blame
- Blessing
- Blessings
- Blind Spots
- Blinded by Sin
- Blindness
- Boasting
- Body Image
- Book Reviews
- Boredom
- Brain
- Bread
- Broken Families
- Brokenness
- Bullying
- Burnout
- Business
- Busyness
- The Bible
- The Biblical Story
- The Body
- The Body of Christ
- The Bread of Life
C
- Called by God
- Calling
- Cancer
- Captives
- Care
- Career
- Caregivers
- Cars
- Causes
- Celebrities
- Celebrity
- Ceremonies
- Certainty
- Challenges
- Change
- Change the World
- Changing World
- Chaos
- Character
- Character Formation
- Charity
- Cheating
- Childlikeness
- Children
- Children of God
- Children's Imagination
- Choices
- Christ and Culture
- Christ the King
- Christ The King Sunday
- Christ's Death
- Christ's Resurrection
- Christendom
- Christian Community
- Christian Culture
- Christian Identity
- Christian Love
- Christian Tradition
- Christianity
- Christians
- Christmas
- Christmas Gift-Giving
- Church
- Church and Politics
- Church and State
- Church Attendance
- Church Culture
- Church Growth
- Church Health
- Church History
- Church Leaders
- Church Membership
- Churches
- Circumstances
- Citizens (secular)
- Citizens of the Kingdom
- Civilization
- Cleansing
- Climbing the Ladder of Success
- Clothing
- Coffee
- College Students
- Comfort
- Comfort Zone
- Comforter
- Coming of the Kingdom
- Commandments
- Common Good
- Communication
- Communion
- Communion of Saints
- Community
- Comparative Religion
- Comparison
- Compassion
- Competition
- Complacency
- Complaining
- Complaints
- Complexity
- Conflict
- Conformity
- Confrontation
- Confusion
- Connection
- Conscience
- Conservation
- Consumer Christianity
- Consumer Culture
- Consumerism
- Contempt
- Contentment
- Context
- Control
- Controversy
- Conversation
- Conversion
- Corruption
- Courage
- Covetousness
- Covid Pandemic
- Craftsmanship
- Creation
- Creation (Human)
- Creation Care/The Environment
- Creation of Humanity
- Creativity
- Crises
- Criticism
- Cross-Cultural Church
- Cross-Cultural Experience
- Crowds
- Crucifixion
- Crucifixion Of Jesus
- Cultivation
- Cultural Assumptions
- Cultural Christianity
- Culture
- Curiosity
- The Christian Faith
- The Christian Life
- The City
- The Cross
D
- Dancing
- Danger
- Dangers of Success
- Dangers of Technology
- Darkness
- Deacons
- Death
- Death of a Loved One
- Debt
- Deception
- Decision-Making
- Delight
- Deliverance
- Depression
- Desire
- Desires
- Despair
- Devotion
- Digital Age
- Dignity
- Direction
- Discernment
- Discipleship
- Discipline
- Disciplines
- Discouragement
- Disease
- Dishonesty
- Distraction
- Diversity
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Divine Love
- Divinity of Jesus
- Division
- Divorce
- Domestic Abuse
- Doubt
- Dreams
- Drifting
- Driving
- Drugs
- Dying to Self
- The Digital World
- The Dying
E
- Easter
- Eating
- Economics
- Eden
- Education
- Elderly People
- Elders
- Elections (Political)
- Emotions
- Empowerment
- Emptiness
- Encouragement
- Endurance
- Enemies
- Energy
- Enlightenment
- Entertainment
- Entitlement
- Environment
- Envy
- Equality
- Eschatology (End Times)
- Eternal Life
- Eternity
- Eternity of God
- Ethics
- Evangelism
- Evil
- Evolution
- Example
- Excellence
- Exclusion
- Exhaustion
- Expectations
- Expectations of Children
- Experience
- Exploitation
- Eyes
- The Early Church
- The Earth
- The Epiphany
F
- Face of God
- Failure
- Fairy Tales
- Faith
- Faith and Doubt
- Faithfulness
- Falling Short
- Fame
- Family
- Family Discipleship
- Family Dysfunction
- Farming
- Fashion
- Fatherhood of God
- Fathers
- Fatigue
- Favor of God
- Fear
- Feedback
- Fellowship
- Fiction
- Fire
- Five Senses
- Flesh
- Flourishing
- Focus
- Following
- Following Jesus
- Food
- Foolishness
- Football (American)
- Forgetfulness
- Forgiveness
- Foundations
- Four Gospels
- Free Will
- Freedom
- Friends
- Friendship
- Fruit
- Fulfillment
- Fun
- Funerals
- Future
- The Fear of God
G
- Games
- Garden of Eden
- Gardening
- Gardens
- Gathering
- Generations
- Generosity
- Genesis
- Gifts
- Giving
- Giving God the Glory
- Gladness
- Global Christianity
- Global Church
- Glorifying God
- Glory
- Goals
- God
- God Seeking Us
- God the Creator
- God's Anger
- God's Character
- God's Faithfulness
- God's Gifts
- God's Goodness
- God's Judgment
- God's Justice
- God's Law
- God's Love
- God's Name
- God's Nearness
- God's Omniscience
- God's Plans
- God's Power (Omnipotence)
- God's Protection
- God's Provision
- God's Pursuit
- God's Reign
- God's Sovereignty
- God's Story
- God's Sufficiency
- God's Throne
- God's Voice
- God's Will
- God's Word
- God's Works
- Good and Evil
- Good Life
- Good News
- Good Works
- Goodness
- Goodness of God
- Gospel
- Government
- Grace
- Grandparents
- Gratitude
- Greatness of God
- Greed
- Grief
- Growth
- Guidance
- Guilt
- The Glory of God
H
- Habits
- Happiness
- Hard Work
- Harmony
- Harvest
- Hatred
- Healing
- Health
- Healthcare
- Hearing God
- Heart
- Heart Change
- Heaven
- Hell
- Help
- Helping our Neighbors
- Helping the Poor
- Heroes
- High Performance
- History
- Hobbies
- Holiness
- Holiness of God
- Home
- Home Ownership
- Homelessness
- Honor
- Hope
- Hopelessness
- Hospitality
- Human Condition
- Human History
- Human Nature
- Human Sexuality
- Humanity
- Humble Living
- Humility
- Humor
- Hunger
- Hurry
- Hypocrisy
- The Holy Land
- The Holy Spirit
I
- Ideas
- Identity
- Identity in Christ
- Idolatry
- Ignorance
- Ignoring God
- Illness
- Image
- Image Bearers
- Images
- Imagination
- Immigrants
- Impact
- Impatience
- Independence Day
- Indifference
- Individualism
- Inequality
- Influence
- Information
- Ingratitude
- Inheritance
- Injury
- Injustice
- Inner Peace
- Innovation
- Insanity
- Insecurity
- Inspiration
- Instant Gratification
- Integrity
- Intelligence
- Interdependence
- Invitation
- Irony
- Irresistible
- Isolation
- Israel
- The Image of God
- The Incarnation
- The Internet
J
K
L
- Labor
- Labor Day
- Lack of Presence
- Language
- Laughter
- Law (Torah)
- Laziness
- Leaders
- Leadership
- Learning
- Legacy
- Leisure
- Lent
- Lies
- Life
- Life after Death
- Life Story
- Light
- Light of the World
- Limitations
- Listening
- Listening to God
- Liturgy
- Living Life
- Living Water
- Loneliness
- Longing
- Lord of Lords
- Loss
- Love
- Love of God and Neighbor
- Love of Money
- Loving Kindness
- Loving Other Christians
- Loving your Neighbor
- Lying
- The Lord's Supper
M
- Magnificat
- Manipulation
- Marriage
- Martyrdom
- Masks
- Materialism
- Meals
- Media
- Medicine
- Meditation
- Meekness
- Mental Health
- Mental Illness
- Mercy
- Military Service
- Millenials
- Mind
- Ministry
- Minorities
- Miracles
- Mission
- Missionaries
- Missions
- Mistaken Identity
- Mistakes
- Misunderstanding
- Mobility
- Modern Life
- Monasticism
- Money
- Moral Relativism
- Morality
- Moses
- Mothers
- Motivations
- Motives
- Mountains
- Mourning
- Music
- Mystery
- Mythology
- Myths
- The Military
- The Mind of Christ
- The Missional Church
- The Morning
N
O
P
- Pace
- Pain
- Palm Sunday
- Parables
- Parenting
- Parents
- Passion
- Past
- Pastors
- Paths
- Patience
- Peace
- Pentecost
- Perfection
- Perfectionism
- Persecution
- Perseverance
- Persistence
- Personal
- Personality
- Perspective
- Phones
- Photographs
- Place
- Play
- Pleasure
- Poetry
- Political Freedom
- Political Leaders
- Politicians
- Politics
- Poor
- Pop Culture
- Popularity
- Possessions
- Postmodernism
- Poverty
- Power
- Praise
- Praise Music
- Prayer
- Prayers for Funerals
- Preaching
- Prejudice
- Presence
- President
- Pressure
- Price
- Pride
- Priorities
- Prisoners
- Private Faith
- Privilege
- Problems
- Productivity
- Progress
- Prosperity
- Protection
- Proud
- Providence
- Provision
- Pruning
- Public Faith
- Purpose
- The Passing of Time
- The Prophets
- The Psalms
R
- Race
- Race (Running)
- Race and Reconciliation
- Racial Reconciliation
- Racism
- Rationality
- Reading
- Real Estate
- Reality
- Reason
- Rebellion
- Receiving
- Receiving Forgiveness
- Receiving Gifts
- Receiving Grace
- Receiving Love
- Receiving the Word
- Reconciliation
- Recovery
- Redeemer
- Redemption
- Reformation Sunday
- Rehab
- Rejection
- Relationship with God
- Relationships
- Relaxation
- Relevance
- Religion
- Religion and Politics
- Religion and Public Life
- Religions
- Religious Pluralism
- Renewal
- Repentance
- Repetition
- Reputation
- Rescue
- Resilience
- Responsibility
- Rest
- Restlessness
- Restoration
- Resurrection
- Resurrection of the Dead
- Resurrection to New Life
- Retreat
- Revelation
- Revival
- Rewards
- Rhythms
- Rhythms of Rest
- Riches
- Righteousness
- Risks
- Rituals
- Romantic Love
- Romantic Relationships
- Rootedness
- Routines
- Rules
- The Rich
- The Risen Lord
- The Rock
- The Roman Empire
S
- Sabbath
- Sacred vs. Secular
- Sacrifice
- Safety
- Salt and Light
- Salt of the Earth
- Salvation
- Sanctification
- Satan
- Satisfaction
- Savior
- School
- Science
- Science and Religion
- Scripture
- Sea
- Searching
- Second Chances
- Secularism
- Security
- Seeking God
- Seeking Happiness
- Segregation
- Self-Absorption
- Self-Acceptance
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Centeredness
- Self-Consciousness
- Self-Control
- Self-Deception
- Self-Destruction
- Self-Discipline
- Self-Expression
- Self-Help
- Self-Image
- Self-Improvement
- Self-Interest
- Self-Knowledge
- Self-Love
- Self-Reliance
- Self-Renunciation
- Self-Righteousness
- Self-Sufficiency
- Selfishness
- Selflessness
- Servanthood
- Service
- Settling
- Sex
- Shallowness
- Shalom
- Shame
- Sheep
- Shelter
- Shepherds
- Sickness
- Silence
- Simplicity
- Sin
- Sinfulness
- Singing
- Sins of the Church
- Skepticism
- Slavery
- Slowing Down
- Smart Phones
- Social Media
- Social Status
- Society
- Soil
- Solitude
- Songs
- Sorrow
- Spectacle
- Spiritual Disciplines
- Spiritual Formation
- Spiritual Growth
- Spiritual Hunger
- Spirituality
- Sports
- Spring (Season)
- Standards
- Stars
- Status Quo
- Staying Humble
- Steadfast Love
- Stealing
- Stereotypes
- Stewardship
- Stillness
- Stories
- Storms
- Storytelling
- Stranger
- Strength
- Stress
- Structures
- Stuff
- Stupidity
- Submission
- Suburbs
- Success
- Suffering
- Suicide
- Summer
- Sun
- Supernatural
- Surgery
- Surprise
- Surrender
- Suspicion of Authority
- Sustainer
- Sweetness
- The Sacraments
- The Saints
- The Sick
- The Soul
T
- Talents
- Talking
- Targets
- Tears
- Technology
- Teenagers
- Television
- Temptation
- Terrorism
- Thanksgiving (General)
- Thanksgiving (Holiday)
- The Temple
- The Trinity
- Theology
- Therapy
- Things
- Third Third of Life
- Thought
- Threats
- Time
- Tired
- Tongue
- Town
- Tradition
- Training
- Transformation
- Translation
- Travel
- Treasure
- Trees
- Trouble
- True Self
- Trust
- Truth
- Turning a Blind Eye
U
W
- The Way
- The Weak
- The Wild
- Waiting
- Wandering
- Wants
- War
- Water
- Ways
- Weakness
- Wealth
- Weariness
- Weather
- Weeping
- Western Culture
- Wickedness
- Wilderness
- Wisdom
- Wisdom of God
- Witnesses
- Wittiness
- Women
- Women Changing the World
- Wonder
- Words
- Work
- Work and Rest
- Work-Life Balance
- Workaholism
- Workmanship
- World
- World Leaders
- World Peace
- Worldliness
- Worldview
- Worry
- Worship
- Worth
- Writing
Y
Top_level_categories by Reference
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
2 Samuel
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Esther
Job
Psalm
- Ps 1 (5)
- Ps 2 (1)
- Ps 6 (1)
- Ps 8 (5)
- Ps 9 (2)
- Ps 10 (1)
- Ps 12 (1)
- Ps 14 (1)
- Ps 15 (1)
- Ps 16 (1)
- Ps 18 (1)
- Ps 19 (10)
- Ps 20 (1)
- Ps 22 (4)
- Ps 23 (16)
- Ps 24 (9)
- Ps 25 (1)
- Ps 27 (8)
- Ps 30 (4)
- Ps 32 (6)
- Ps 33 (5)
- Ps 34 (19)
- Ps 36 (1)
- Ps 37 (4)
- Ps 39 (2)
- Ps 40 (2)
- Ps 42 (6)
- Ps 46 (21)
- Ps 47 (1)
- Ps 48 (1)
- Ps 51 (18)
- Ps 52 (1)
- Ps 55 (1)
- Ps 56 (1)
- Ps 57 (2)
- Ps 62 (2)
- Ps 63 (2)
- Ps 65 (2)
- Ps 67 (1)
- Ps 68 (2)
- Ps 71 (1)
- Ps 72 (4)
- Ps 73 (3)
- Ps 78 (2)
- Ps 80 (2)
- Ps 82 (6)
- Ps 84 (2)
- Ps 85 (3)
- Ps 86 (3)
- Ps 88 (1)
- Ps 89 (1)
- Ps 90 (8)
- Ps 92 (2)
- Ps 94 (1)
- Ps 95 (4)
- Ps 96 (2)
- Ps 98 (6)
- Ps 100 (5)
- Ps 103 (9)
- Ps 104 (4)
- Ps 105 (1)
- Ps 107 (1)
- Ps 111 (1)
- Ps 112 (2)
- Ps 113 (2)
- Ps 115 (2)
- Ps 117 (1)
- Ps 118 (2)
- Ps 119 (9)
- Ps 121 (1)
- Ps 122 (1)
- Ps 124 (1)
- Ps 126 (2)
- Ps 127 (5)
- Ps 128 (1)
- Ps 133 (5)
- Ps 135 (1)
- Ps 136 (2)
- Ps 139 (16)
- Ps 141 (2)
- Ps 143 (1)
- Ps 145 (4)
- Ps 147 (6)
- Ps 148 (1)
- Ps 150 (1)
Proverbs
- Prov 1 (1)
- Prov 2 (1)
- Prov 3 (19)
- Prov 4 (7)
- Prov 5 (1)
- Prov 6 (1)
- Prov 9 (1)
- Prov 10 (2)
- Prov 11 (5)
- Prov 12 (6)
- Prov 13 (4)
- Prov 14 (9)
- Prov 15 (4)
- Prov 16 (10)
- Prov 17 (6)
- Prov 18 (8)
- Prov 19 (9)
- Prov 20 (2)
- Prov 21 (7)
- Prov 22 (7)
- Prov 23 (3)
- Prov 24 (2)
- Prov 25 (1)
- Prov 26 (1)
- Prov 27 (7)
- Prov 28 (2)
- Prov 29 (7)
- Prov 30 (2)
- Prov 31 (11)
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
- Isa 1 (13)
- Isa 2 (4)
- Isa 5 (4)
- Isa 6 (3)
- Isa 7 (1)
- Isa 9 (14)
- Isa 11 (2)
- Isa 12 (1)
- Isa 25 (1)
- Isa 26 (5)
- Isa 28 (4)
- Isa 30 (7)
- Isa 32 (1)
- Isa 35 (1)
- Isa 40 (26)
- Isa 41 (11)
- Isa 42 (2)
- Isa 43 (10)
- Isa 44 (2)
- Isa 45 (1)
- Isa 47 (2)
- Isa 49 (3)
- Isa 51 (1)
- Isa 53 (11)
- Isa 55 (13)
- Isa 56 (1)
- Isa 57 (4)
- Isa 58 (7)
- Isa 60 (6)
- Isa 61 (16)
- Isa 64 (2)
- Isa 66 (2)