Sharing Life and Christ

God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 “ The kingdom of God is like this,” he said.   “A man scatters seed on the ground.   He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how…” Mark 4:26-27 These verses remind us that at the core of the Christian faith is mystery.   In one sense, mystery in Scripture speaks of something that God chose to keep hidden and has since made clear.   That’s Colossians 1:27.   Christ was revealed, and until He was revealed, no one would know and understand and experience the hope of glory.   But even since King Jesus has been revealed, there is still much about Him that is veiled, that remains mysterious.   This is simply because Jesus is infinite and eternal and holy, and we are not.   Imperfect, finite creatures simply cannot fully comprehend the One in whom the fullness of God wa...

“I’ve been to the mountaintop.”   I hope Dr. King would approve of me borrowing his famous line to share an update.   It’s a very appropriate statement for this season that has been simmering in my mind for a few weeks now.   I’d like to try and share why with you. How do I stay focussed on the dream of planting and pastoring a multiethnic church among the disadvantaged when everything is slapped with a big To-Be-Determined sticker?   The answer is becoming clear: because I’ve been to the mountaintop.   For the past number of years, the Lord has had me on a journey of discovery.   I’ve come to be in close contact with people who are dramatically different than me, and I’ve learned their stories.   My eyes have been opened to realities that have irrevocably altered my theological framework and my understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.   And I worship God for this journey.   The situations many friends find themselves in is clos...

    It’s been awhile since we updated everyone on things, and this seems like a particularly pivotal time to do so.   June 14th is my last day of service as associate pastor of Christ The King Church, Kenosha, WI, where I’ve been privileged to serve for the past three years on staff, and where, more importantly, Elyse and I have been built up into Jesus for the past 7 years.   Our relationships and experiences at Christ The King have been instrumental in both our personal sanctification and in our sense of call toward church planting, specifically a multiethnic church, and ministering to the poor and marginalized.   I’ve become a little bit better at preaching, a little bit better at leading, and I hope both spring from being a little bit better learner of Jesus, my King.   I’m fully aware of my deficiencies as His student, but nonetheless there is an unwavering commitment to keep at it since where else could I go to find the words of eternal life? ...