Apprentice 2 Jesus

Spiritual Formation

  • It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

    The horror of Newtown, CT needs to stay with us. It was a day when even the President couldn’t get through his remarks because of the pain. This horror needs to stay with us because we need to have this conversation no one is willing to have. We are ready to blame others. For those on… Read more

  • We have the choice to give thanks

    My reading this week took me through the tiny book of Habakkuk. The hand of the Lord he would see would be a hand of judgment as God had to deal with his people. He had the assurance that God would deal with Israel’s enemies as well, but the heartbreak for Habakkuk was knowing God… Read more

  • Complaining to God

    We don’t often look into the “minor prophets.” It’s “flyover country” for us. They are too far removed. They are too “mean.” We have all kinds of excuses. Habakkuk gives us some insight into prophetic complaining. He has a case against God and he is willing to voice it. 2 How long, Lord, must I call for… Read more

  • Sin

    “Sin is not a mistake. Our sin is our willing unlawfulness, our purposeful breaking of God’s law. In attitude and in deed, we rebel against God, and we have for that reason forfeited our right to live. We deserve to die for our sins. That’s what the death of Jesus is for; our deliberate unlawfulness.… Read more

  • Reformation Day — A second point of discussion

    Today IS Reformation Day. Another tiny piece of paper to attach to the ether door of the church world. It’s not about propositional truth (alone). We need good doctrine. But it IS about the heart set toward the Savior. It is about the formation of the believer in life, not just in the head. When we get… Read more

  • New City Catechism

    While I’m not an enthusiastic fan of Reformed Theology, I am a HUGE fan of Tim Keller. They have launched a catechism to refresh the Church on the basics of the faith. You can download it as an iPad app, or, if you haven’t drank that Kool-Aid, it does have an online component as well.… Read more

  • Loving the World

    Was it an old Keith Green song that said, “You love the world, but you’re avoiding Me”? 1 John is clear about NOT loving the world. He gives us examples: craving what the body feels, craving for what the eyes see, and the arrogant pride of one’s possessions. (CEB). Sounds like it pretty much includes…… Read more

  • 2 Peter and the Call to Spiritual Formation

    The first chapter of 2 Peter (one of the letters we are reading this week) calls us walk in spiritual formation. We need to learn to build spiritual character in our lives. Spiritual disciplines aid us in this walk. QUESTION: What do you know… what have you learned… in the area of spiritual formation? For… Read more

  • The Song We THINK We Hear

    This is the longest I’ve spent in New Orleans. One of the thoughts I’ve had about the city is this: New Orleans sings its story. It is a city of incredible music. I heard a street musician playing some incredibl classical pieces on his cello. I’ve heard some great jazz. There is a “cajun” style… Read more

  • Scary Verse to Wake Me Up

    5 Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Don’t you understand that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test. (2 Cor. 13:5, CEB) We really need to understand our faith and our walk with Christ. We have a precious faith and it is worth examining our… Read more