A Walk Through the Parables: The Narrow Way

September 15, 2014 by

A Walk through the parablesMy daughter has a knack for squeezing into places she shouldn’t.

She climbs under our kitchen chair then freaks out when she gets “trapped” between the four legs.

She squishes between the desk and file cabinet, then squalls for help when she tries to exit a different way.

She attempts to dismount a chair through the back and then hollers when her head won’t fit through without turning it a specific direction.

There are a lot of tight, narrow spots that she can get stuck… And believe it or not, us adults can get stuck too.

Not in narrow places, but in the wide, open spaces of complacency and procrastination.  [Read more…]

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A Walk Through The Parables: The Tenants

August 25, 2014 by

Sometimes stories in the Bible make me grimace.

Not because I have a weak stomach but because this following Jesus business is dang serious.

There is a lot at stake and I am constantly asking God to do a “heart-check” to make sure my pulse still beats for Him… Because let’s be honest, it is crazy easy to get distracted in our world full of “bright and shiny” instant gratification teasers.

Which is what today’s parable is all about… Brace yourself. It’s about to get real all up in here as we dig into the Parable of the Tenants, found in Matthew 21:33-46 and Mark 12:1-12.

A Walk through the parables

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A Walk Through The Parables: The Two Sons

August 18, 2014 by

A Walk through the parablesAs a Christian, I sometimes feel like I have multiple personalities.

But in all actuality, those alleged split personalities are really just the yucky places in my heart (see also: sin) that are constantly at war with my call to be like Christ.

It’s exhausting, I tell you.

If we are honest with ourselves, there is probably a little bit of hypocrite in all of us. We say one thing and do another. We know how we are a supposed to love/behave/react as followers of Jesus but before you can say “Stop right there, word vomit!” we do or say something that might make folks raise a quick eyebrow as to our heart status.  [Read more…]

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A Walk Through the Parables: The Vineyard Workers

August 11, 2014 by

When my sister and I were growing up, it seemed like every other conversation with our parents ended with the phrase “It’s not fair!”

My sister got to take a bath second which mean a slightly later bedtime. It’s not fair. A Walk through the parables

I had to spend my precious time waiting for my sister to get her stuff together after school to give her a ride since I was already able to drive. It’s not fair.

Little brother, who was 12 years younger got to live like an only child because we were long gone. It’s not fair.

I could go on… but I won’t. Because this “It’s not fair” jam really shows my ugly side.

Yuck.

But when we really think about it, we probably all have a side like that… And most of us can probably relate to the experience of the workers in the vineyard as we walk through the Parable found in Matthew 20.  [Read more…]

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Hidden Ah-Ha’s: Good and Faithful Servant

December 16, 2013 by

 Some days I simply CANNOT wait until I get to heaven.

Now don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not looking for an early way out or anything. But on my bad AND good days, sometimes the idea of heaven is so intoxicating.

Our hearts desire to be there. A place with no pain. A place with no sad tears. A place with no suffering. And most of all… a place with JESUS. [Read more…]

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