Catalyst Articles

The more we tell ourselves to forget past secrets, the deeper the heart aches for realization. If we get really honest with ourselves we know that secret is still there, waiting, breathing and creeping up on us only at times to destroy and demolish us from the inside out.

In our minds, we become right simply because we’ve been wronged. Perpetuating this idea is what ruins friendships, ostracizes those we love, and leaves entire cartons of ice cream empty. Why? Because playing the blame game requires a voracious appetite for validation, one that is never quite satisfied.

What’s the difference between a leader we respect and one we’d actually follow?

It's simple really, leaders are learners, and sometimes to learn, risks must be taken. Leaders, regardless of position or skill set, should be willing to learn from what sharing responsibility can teach you.

The Old Testament is like that. It’s like viewing a painting from far off and making the judgment that the painting is hideous. The closer we get, we realize that it is actually a mirror. Ouch.

Each week during the #LentChallenge, we’ve sent YOUR questions to Dr. Craig Blomberg, New Testament scholar and professor at Denver Seminary. Dr. Blomberg is the author of many books including his most recent: Can We Still Believe the Bible? An Evangelical Engagement with Contemporary Questions.

Nothing inspires trust in another human being like vulnerability -- there is just something immensely attractive and inspiring about humility and graciousness.

Throughout the Book of Acts, we see God calling His faithful followers to acts that felt risky, strange, unthinkable. Yet through obedience, the good news of Jesus exploded and expanded beyond all previous bounds.

Jesus knew the wisdom of getting away and sitting with His Father, and it’s true for you and me too.

Jesus speaks to those in the temple and He also speaks to us. In humility. In prayer. In Scripture. In community. We begin to discover that rather than try to turn the tables on someone else, the first tables we overturn must be our own.

In the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, more than half the population is living in urban slums and shanty compounds. They do have access to water but it isn’t clean, potable water. 

I do have a few warnings for any pastor who is using social media. I hope they help you take advantage of the benefits of social media without allowing it to distract or destroy you in the process.