I started teaching full-time in October. Prior to this, I had primarily been either a student or a stay-at-home mom, which meant I was consistently able to dedicate a good chunk of time to “being with Jesus'' in Word and…
As a lay elder who works a full-time job in the corporate world, I have long been intrigued by the role of vocation in the Christian life. Christians throughout church history have worked in all manner of vocations. In the…
When my boys were small, I stenciled a black tractor and Colossians 3:23 on a burlap sign and propped it on their bookcase: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” I wanted them to…
Do you want to see your community saturated with the gospel? A great place to start is considering how your vocation can promote the flourishing of your community and making disciples. In this guest blog post, Daniel McDonald shares…
(Post nine in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post ten here.) Stop being overly “spiritual,” using insider, religious language, to talk about God—it mostly alienates people. The reality is, to become a missional Christian, we begin by simply…
(Post eight in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read part seven here.) We live as if there is an insurmountable distance between the “sacred” and the “secular.” One of the important dimensions of incarnational mission is to break…
(Post six in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post five here.) Don’t presume you really know what’s going on. A few years ago I ran and organized a conference called St. Paul Goes to the Movies. The idea…
Listening to and Pursuing Unity with Jesus’ Church
"This Jesus-way of bringing his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven has a lot of political implications." - Craig Greenfield We're going to bring this introductory series to "Politics with Jesus in Mind" to a close with…
The Story of God and Our Practices of Justice Today
"Faithful political action is about pursuing public justice." - Rev. Dr. Michael Goheen in Seeking the Justice of the Kingdom This post is the 2nd in a 3-part introductory series entitled, "Politics with Jesus in Mind." The first post was:…
Episode 81: Everyday Disciples in LA: Customer Service
In the first installment of a new series on the Saturate Podcast, Brad Watson talks with three disciples at Soma in Los Angeles about living life with gospel intentionality as they work in customer service jobs. They discuss the challenges,…
When we talk about Gospel Saturation we are talking about the truths of Jesus changing everything - every person and every place. As followers of Jesus this means that our places of work are saturated with the gospel through Christ…
Too often, we seek to establish infrastructure (our organization, church, etc.) first before actually living on mission in our context. Early in the life of Blueprint I watched a YouTube documentary about gangs. The documentary revealed why most young…
All of God’s people are sent people, and if your feet are standing on soil then God has sent you to that place to His glory and for His great purpose. Two years ago, I entered my ministry internship…
I am constantly asking if I am I the type of person I want to see reproduced. As missionaries entering into God’s mission we will face temptation similar to the ones Jesus faced. The first one we see is…
Maybe culturally accepted religious practice and the “return to Judeo-Christian values” many yearn for have done more harm than good to people's pursuit of true holiness and understanding of the life of following Jesus. Peter writes the following to…
Jesus is sending us out among wolves, and whether it be losing friends or losing our lives, He is letting us know the cost up front. “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I am here…
Restlessness is an indicator that something’s gotten out of whack. (Part three in the Everyday Sabbath Rest series from David Achata.) About 1,600 years ago, Augustine of Hippo prayed to God, saying, “You have made us for yourself, and our…
When I was six, my dad told me, “Son, you have a God-given talent.” I just finished my first football game and had a good game. For better or worse, those words shaped my identity for years. I doubt…
Have you ever tried to learn a new language? You know how hard and frustrating it can be translating every single word when you first start. But after awhile, something happens. Suddenly, you start not only to speak, but…
(Part seven in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier.) Don't stop chasing the dream God put in your heart. In this seventh and final edition of this series, I’m going to leave you with a list some of the biggest “Don’t…
Each year after the NFL season ends, two things happen. First, a champion emerges. Second, all the other teams evaluate themselves based on what made the champions successful. Whether they won due to a defensive-minded team, or had a fast-paced…
Yes, we can pretend to have it all together while sitting in a pew on Sunday or while impressing one another with our knowledge of Scripture. But mission exposes our inadequacies and need for grace. If you are in a small Bible…
(You can read the next part in the How Do We Do It series here.) How does your community move from sitting quietly and neatly in a comfortable living room to engaging the people of your city with the…
Whether you’re a student, a stay-at-home mom, or a white-collar executive, most of your life is spent working. Whatever your work, this means your Christian identity is almost always being formed under unideal and inconvenient circumstances. In times past,…
As your Facebook feed fills your heart with a zeal that borders anger, you will likely wonder: What can I do? The refugee crisis cannot be ignored. It’s found in every newspaper in every corner of the world. Politicians win…
There is and always has been an individual and communal aspect to mission. Mission is done in community. A community shares the load of the mission of making disciples. It takes a group to demonstrate Jesus to others. A…
(Part five in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part six here.) Our world needs you. Specifically, they need Jesus. But for some reason I’ll hopefully one day understand, He chose to use knuckleheads like us to introduce Him…
Where are the dry places that need life? Habakkuk 2:14 tells us a day is coming when the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord will fill the earth like the water covers the sea. Recently I woke early…
(Part four in the Raising Financial Support series from Tim Parlier. Read part five here.) I don’t know what the Spirit is desiring to speak to you through my story, but I want you to allow Him some space to speak to…
(Enjoy this first blog in a new series called Redeemed Work by David Achata. You can read part two here.) God changes our identity so our work is no longer about personal advancement. Recently I sat in a hotel bar with a…
Focusing too early on what I think they should do can actually rob them of the creative thinking and self-discovery they actually need. One of my life’s great passions is seeing others unleashed for the mission of God. I find…
(Part seven in the Recovering Missional Moxie series from Alan Hirsch. Read part eight here.) Much real life, relationships, and spiritual meaning can be added by simplifying our lives to engage more fully in life. Throughout many years of being involved in…
We are all (regardless of nationality) prone to wander and seek our own security, approval, comfort, and control until we find our faith and trust in Jesus. Twelve years ago, I moved away from Europe, and yet it remains my…
(Part one a new series from Alan Hirsch. Read part two here.) The way we think of ourselves and conceive our most basic purposes in this world make a massive difference in the way we behave. I really do believe…
Regenerate. Unregenerate. He uses us all. It is so easy to forget that God often uses non-Christians to move His kingdom project forward. It is a sad misunderstanding to assume God won’t, or can’t, use people who haven’t surrendered their life to…
I live unbound to the ideas of who I think I should be; instead I choose to be who God created me to be. “Let your light shine before others so that they see your good deeds and glorify…
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