Category: Spiritual Formation

  • Dan

    Shout hallelujah

    The moments of change often slip by unnoticed. There isn’t a “big healing.” There isn’t a great time of prayer and then you “hear the voice of God.” There are moments, though. They go almost unnoticed. Yet, you look back and realize, “That was it! That was the time!” There is a moment in Luke 10 where Jesus shouted with…

  • Dan

    The unshakable kingdom

    We fear the apocalypse. We fear “decline” as Americans. We fear “losing our culture.” In general, we fear endings. Somehow we want to live in the dream of always upward in a world that always has the same result: all empires fade.

  • Dan

    My search for beautiful things

    Politics is heating up. Rhetoric is heating up. My mind is spinning from the lies spewing out about … shocker … immigrants. People seeking refuge from chaos, corruption, and real danger have come to the United States to find … chaos, corruption, and real danger. What are we doing?

  • Dan

    The failure of evangelicals in politics

    This chapter from Dallas Willard’s book, Renewing the Christian Mind, stood out to me because it wasn’t written in 2016 or 2020 or 2024. It was around 2009 when Dallas wrote that article. Even 15 years ago, he had this question:

  • Dan

    Knowledge isn’t enough

    A great problem in Christian education is we stop at doctrine. We stop at knowledge. It is embarrassing to watch church leaders tout knowledge and correct doctrine… and then use it as a hammer in the lives of other people. It becomes their source of pride and the root of their action. Their action, however, is about hammering the knowledge…

  • Dan

    The difficulty is FOLLOWING Jesus

    I am re-reading some Dallas Willard books to refresh my spirit right now and one that is a compilation of interviews and shorter articles is my current project: Renewing the Christian Mind, edited by Gary Black, Jr. There is an interview where Dallas is asked:

  • Dan

    What do the children of light look like? Pt 5

    Part OnePart TwoPart ThreePart Four Their relationships are different. Children of light are able to walk in transparency because they walk in goodness. They deal with darkness in their own lives and are able to achieve true connectedness with others, especially those who are followers of Christ. 

  • Dan

    What do the children of light look like? Pt 4

    Part OnePart TwoPart Three Their bodies are trained to do good and be ready to respond when needed.  They respond almost without thinking because “muscle memory” has been ingrained. The body doesn’t dictate what is next. The mind and the will are the guides for the body. What is no longer true of the child of light is what Jesus…

  • Dan

    What do the children of light look like? Pt 3

    Part OnePart Two The deepest motivation is to do what is good and right. There is a deep pursuit of being habitually attuned to the heart of God, longing to do what is right in the Kingdom of God. There is attentiveness to what is the fruit of the Spirit because that is where their mind has dwelled. They are…

  • Dan

    What do the children of light look like? Pt 2

    Part One Here The emotional life is characterized by love Children of light love lots of good things. They love people. They love their own life and who they are. All of life comes from God, so whatever comes their way has purpose. Tough times in life are opportunities to learn more. Even if they suffer unjustly, there is deep…