Photo on Flickr.com I have been working on my message for the Sunday Celebration sermon series called, “The Price.” This Sunday I will be covering “The Price of Freedom” by preaching on Romans 6. It has been an interesting study for me because it reminded me of a principle that has […]
Easter in Indonesia
Photo on WordPress What an awesome weekend we had here in Indonesia! As I was giving more thought to it, I realized that this was the first Easter we celebrated outside of Ann Arbor in 14 years. It just felt different – in a good way. Last week, we were busy […]
The Reality of the Relationship
Photo on WordPress Chuck DeGroat wrote an article in Neue Magazine. He wrote, “I’m in this relationship, and it’s been quite difficult for some time. She continually lets me down and disappoints me. There are certain things I want from the relationship, but she seems to ignore my needs. She seduces […]
Reflections from Austin 3.14.10
In my last two trips to the States, Austin has always been my first stop for ministry. I really enjoyed my time down there, not only because the weather is warmer and the food is incredible, but more importantly because I am able to reconnect with Pastor Ben and his family. Pastor Ben was […]
Back and Forth Travels
Photo on neonlite.ca It has already been two days so far here in the United States and I feel like I have been here for a week. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but all I know is that my heart is more convinced […]
Trip Back to the States Part 2
Time has flown by so quickly. It just seems like yesterday that I was heading back to the States to make my first visit to all the HMCC churches. But for some reason, this time around it definitely feels different. The first time back to the States in November 2009, I went with a […]
The Hunt
I find it interesting that the Apostle Peter used the metaphor of a lion waiting for its prey to describe how Satan waits around for Christ-followers to devour. In 1 Peter 5:8 it says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The Message Bible translation says, […]
Lessons from Singapore
I headed out to Singapore this past Sunday through Monday to meet up with the group of people who are the core group of the new church plant that we want to launch soon. Even though our time is short, I try to lay down the foundation of this church plant by studying the […]
Communicating Visually
You have probably heard of the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” There are times when one simple and poignant picture can tell a story just as well as, if not better, than a story with a thousand words. There is something about visually seeing things that captures the imagination. Since we […]
The First Follower
I was introduced to this video by Pete Dahlem. I was reminded of an important principle in good leadership. Not only do we need the leader to show by example, but in order to start a movement one of the key components is the “first follower.” Without this person, there will be no momentum […]
Ministers of the Gospel
Photo on www.ssa.gov I will never forget an experience that shaped a lot of my passion and focus on the whole Transformasphere Movement. Some years ago, I was at a conference with a lot of college students. A pastor who was leading the conference gave an altar call for people who […]
The Youth of Indonesia
Photo by euromonitor This past week, God has been putting an enormous burden on my heart for the youth of Indonesia. I had the privilege of speaking to the 11th graders of Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH). After some of my sessions, some of the students wanted to talk with me and […]
Student Volunteer Movement 2.0
Photo by The Traveling Team I have always been inspired and fascinated with the Student Volunteer Movement. The foundation was laid in the summer of 1886 at a conference where were 251 people gathered from 89 different universities. It was the first international and interdenominational conference for students of that magnitude. […]
Our Insecurities Fuel Our Distortions
Photo from wordpress.com I read an article by Carolyn Arends titled, “Our Divine Distortion.” Arends’ honest sharing triggered an insight. Let me first have you read a portion of her article. Arends writes, “When I found a brand new lap-top for half price on eBay, I told my friend and musical […]