Blog

Living under the new covenant of Jesus’ blood, we also get to see the beautiful picture of Jesus drawing people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to Himself.

God calls us to a beautiful, eternal family that knows no geographic, political, gender, generational, or racial barriers.

Wanting to be the favorite is a struggle in vain, as God has given us an even playing field, always coming from wretchedness, being made into His righteousness through adoption as sons and heirs of His kingdom.

Maybe you vacillate between "having it all together" parenting and "I'm drunk" parenting. Maybe you want to fix your kids. Maybe you want to have compassion but don't, want to be interested, but aren't. Maybe you don't really know or aren't really sure, because you have checked out... Parenting does expose. It shows us our idols.

Telling a preschooler that you are sorry for having such a short temper with them is a humbling experience.

Why does a meeting like this matter?

Practical steps for cultivating intimacy in marriage.

Our marriages are not our own, they are His. Our families are not our own, they are His. Our household is not our own. It is His.

The economic concerns of the open home have a trust, achieved by the work of Jesus. We can risk. We can have an open door. We can live in these costly places where a greater number of people are welcomed, and where we have lesser privacies. We can do this because the Gospel has secured this very thing for us. Our marriages can be a place of flourishing for our households. Our promises can provide a safe place for our neighbor's common good.

Often we look for that relief in the wrong places. We run to our spouse and ask them to provide it, or our kids, or our job, or our well-manicured lawn, or next home project…but they all fail to provide significant relief, and they can't stop the internal noises. God's grace meets us in these places

There was a phrase that Pastor Justin emphasized in his sermon this week. I don't know if you caught it, but he stopped and repeated it very slowly, almost as if he was waiting for me to write it down in order to be able to reflect on it more fully later on. "A grace-filled family is loud, not with its criticism, but with its affirmation."

Family is frustrating, right? We use our words to hurt, control, garner favor, win. We use non-verbals to back up the verbals, showing our disgust. But God gives grace--and grace allows for a family to be built not on conditions, but on unconditional love and acceptance. In this post, Pastor Justin shares some ideas on becoming a grace-full family.