It is an understatement to say we encounter free-floating anxiety pretty much everywhere these days—at work and school, in our organizations, in politics, and in our homes and families. We can sense our muscles tightening, our jaws clenching, and our…
I have a few friends that I meet with regularly that are not (currently) believers in Jesus. We grab coffee and talk about life, the world, and God. When we meet, I ask them about what’s going on in their…
Luke’s account of Good Friday reveals: “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.…
School is wrapping up, the days are getting longer, and with COVID restrictions easing, we are looking forward to making the most of this summer! Plans are being made for vacations, weddings, camping trips, family reunions, and playing in…
“Who will help me plant my seeds?” asked the Little Red Hen. “Not I,” said the dog. “Not I,” said the cat. “Not I,” said the duck. “Then, I will plant them myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and…
(Enjoy this final post in Alan Hirsch's eleven-part series.) When the church gets its act together, it is the most potent force for the transformation of the world. One of the most profound ways to embody countercultural dissents against the…
The Soma Family of Churches lost a leader, friend, brother, husband, and devoted father last week. Randy Sheets’ impact for Jesus’s kingdom will never be fully known until we are together again in the new heavens and new earth.…
Measuring Suffering The aching desire for a spouse, the pain of losing a friend, the uncertainty of finding a job...these things all produce pain. Why is it, though, that we tend to compare our suffering to the next person,…
During our family meal last week, my five-year-old son Caleb perched attentively on the arm of the padded chair in which I sat––my Bible sprawled open on the coffee table in front of us. “What does it mean for…
Expectations for being in a DNA Group Deep discipleship and transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. Rather, deep growth occurs in the soil of trusting relationships, where we can be known and loved, challenged and encouraged. This is the purpose…
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, states: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body…
As Americans watch the unfolding drama of the Supreme Court hearings, you can almost hear the nation collectively sigh in frustration, sadness, and disbelief. In many ways, these hearings are a culmination of many cultural currents: partisan politics, Trump…
We were made to worship. We were made to adore, to long for, to delight in, to desire. We were made to have the deepest longings of our hearts met by someone or something outside of ourselves. Always Worshiping…
The most meaningful relationships in life are symbiotic: the people involved mutually benefit, encourage, and foster growth in each other. Growing as a disciple requires this kind of relationship by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the…
He wants me to rest in Him and invites me into what He is doing for His glory. That doesn’t sound like a burden that sounds like freedom. I remember it well. I was sitting in my dining room…
Under Attack You’re dealing with health issues again. Someone you thought was committed to doing life with you has disappeared. Someone else is saying things about you that aren’t true. A magnetic individual in your community seems to be…
The lie is that porn (or anything for that matter) can satisfy this true and deep need to be fully known, vulnerable, wanted, intimate, and connected. Last month I wrote an article discussing the E.P.I.C. generation acronym to describe…
Scripture shows consistently that when God calls someone, he sends them to the wilderness. If it’s an important enough category for God, then we need one too. Moses, Israel, David, Elijah, the Apostle Paul, even Jesus all were sent…
Leaders, please set aside your objective plans for a moment. Helping people address their inner lives is probably the most important thing you’ll ever do. Many years ago I took my first trip to West Africa. On one of…
Episode 004: What does it mean to be “gospel fluent”?
In this episode of The Saturate Podcast, Jeff Vanderstelt and Justin Anderson discuss the meaning of gospel fluency and how to speak the truths of Jesus into the everyday stuff of life.
Part 5 in the 6 Questions We Answer Again and Again series. How does a culture like this care for members' hearts? A church organized around missional communities—a vision of church that focuses on getting people wrapped into the…
Change happens through relationship; the come-as-you-are, warts-and-all, Christ-like-love kind of relationship. One of humanity’s greatest needs is to know and be known, to be in deep relationships. God is a very relational God, and as image-bearers of Him we…
But we fail if we don’t give them Jesus. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, states: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for…
How could I have known all that was to come? It is no secret to my friends that Halloween is my least favorite holiday. I grumble and complain about having to scrounge up outfits, the evil feel of it…
We need people who have access to our lives, ask us hard questions, probe our motivations, and remind us of the freedom we’ve been given in Jesus. In a post I wrote a few years ago, I discussed how the…
There are three more “typical” ways God calls people into leadership. Sometimes, people are led to start a missional community through, what most of us would call, the spectacular. They have a dream, and see seemingly bizarre signs, or…
Have you ever had to make a weighty decision on your own? It can be agonizing, wondering if you are going about it in the right way or not. Unfortunately, this is how most people make decisions in our…
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