I pastor a church in Southern California. I preach, teach, and write. I sit with others in their sorrows and their joys. And I walk with people through some of life’s most difficult experiences.
Zack Eswine writes, “Sometimes I greet the morning like a troubled atheist, lost in a god-empty story that cannot handle what frightens me…On such mornings, I need the name of Jesus spoken and his true story told to me afresh.”
Trying to suppress our emotions is like trying to hold a beach ball under the water: it only works for so long. Eventually, one way or another, the emotions shoot back up to the surface. So what should we do with them? The Psalms invite us to be open and unafraid before God with our emotions.
Joy is notoriously difficult to define. Is it a feeling? An emotion? A state? Is joy the same as happiness? Joy defies simple definition. But we can still talk meaningfully about it.
God sees things differently than we do. His values, priorities, and ways reverse the world’s values. 1 Samuel 16 invites us to learn to see the way God does by living inside the gospel story.
The gospel has the power to free you from self-deception because it assures you that you are both fully known (you don’t have to hide or pretend) and fully loved (you are welcomed and accepted in Christ).
King Saul’s failure reminds us that Christian leaders and friends sometimes disappoint us. However, disappointment can lead to stronger faith. How? By letting disappointment invite us into a deeper trust and confidence in Jesus Christ, the King who never fails.
David’s victory over Goliath points to our true champion, Jesus Christ, who defeated sin, death, and Satan through his life, death, and resurrection.
Kathryn Greene-McCreight takes up the challenging task of putting her lived experience of depression into words. She does an admirable job, using a mixture of description and metaphor.
Kathyrn Greene-McCreight says religious platitudes like “Pray harder” offer little in the way of help to those who live with mental health challenges. In fact, such trite advice might actually cause a depressed person more hurt.
The British preacher Charles Spurgeon lived with depression. Being a public figure, he often received well-meaning but insensitive advice about his condition from fellow Christians.
Wendell Berry sees vital connections between practicing solitude, cultivating personal wholeness, and participating in community.
A playlist for those who are grieving, hurting, or suffering. It makes space for both lament and hope in our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
A prayer based on Psalm 139:11–12 for those who feel alone in the darkness. "Lord God, heavenly Father, I no longer can see your radiant face. The darkness threatens to overwhelm me. I fear it will crush me under its weight. But you see me; you are with me, even in this dark pit."
A pastoral prayer. “Our gracious God and Father in heaven, we thank you for sending your Son to us. We thank you for showing us who you are in Jesus: a God of stunning glory and grace…”
A prayer based on Psalm 39. “Lord God, heavenly Father, our sins are piled up higher than the tops of our heads. They are too heavy for us to bear…”
A prayer based on Psalm 49. “Lord God, heavenly Father, you who are the source of all true wisdom, guard us from the folly of thinking we will live forever…”
