Photo from Flickr I was reading the other day from Eugene Peterson’s, The Message of Matthew 11:28-30. It captured my attention and helped me to reaffirm what I have been sensing from God throughout this whole year. Peterson writes, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. […]
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Photo from dunia-kita All over Indonesia, Muslims are celebrating Idul Adha today. The Idul Adha is known as the “Festival of Sacrifice.” It highlights, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah. The celebration will last throughout this weekend. It is a time where many people go back to their […]
Reconnecting, Refreshing, and Recasting
It’s been a while since I have posted something on my blog; therefore I wanted to post a quick entry. I am in Singapore’s Changi Airport waiting for my flight back to Jakarta. It has been good to just catch my breath in light of the six-day whirlwind trip back to the States. Even […]
Prelude to Revival
Photo from chrisbraymusic.com A. W. Tozer wrote, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late–and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival […]
From the Crowd to the Core
Photo on dpnow.com In all new church plants, one of the biggest concerns or dilemmas is trying to figure out how to get people who visit your church to become committed disciples who will take on the role of leadership. Usually the linear process is: bring visitors in, reach out to […]
Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves
Photo from images.com Over the years, I have been trying to teach our congregation(s) the importance of the Gospel. The Gospel is critical in our journey with Christ, not only when we get saved, but in the present and into the future. So often we apply the Gospel message towards a […]
Quicker Updates
Photo by kent.edu Someone from the States asked me if I can update about the earthquake situation in Indonesia on my blog. The reason behind the request is that people hear the news about the earthquakes (there have been more recently) and the terrorist bombing and they want to know if […]
The Reminders through the Call to Prayer
Photo from Freewebs I think one of the things that people have to get used to while they are in Indonesia is the daily calls to prayer. All throughout the day, you are able to hear the multiple calls to prayer for the Muslim people. The retreat center that I am […]
High School Retreat Revisited
Photo by Steven Fernandez For some reason, it seems so long ago that I spoke at a high school youth retreat, but in actuality, it has only been a few years. There is something about youth retreats that still has a special place in my heart. First of all, my first […]
My First Exam as a Professor
Photo from nomadlife.org This past week was my first time writing up a midterm exam on the college level. So many things ran through my mind. I thought about some of the most difficult exams that I have taken in my life. I thought about some of the easiest test that […]
Power Outages
Photo by uchicago.edu I have heard about the power outages that occur once in awhile in Indonesia. People have told me to be prepared for them because it happens randomly and the electricity can be out for hours. It was all head knowledge until we experienced our first power outage. Now, […]
Batiks are Indonesian
Photo on Friendster On October 2nd of this year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has officially recognized the batik as an Indonesian cultural treasure. In order to celebrate this recognition, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked Indonesians to wear a batik on this day. This was a huge […]
Making Changes
Photo on Flickr Even though it has been a little less than 3 months since we have been here in Indonesia, God is showing us a lot of different things. By His grace, God has allowed us, not only to transition well, but to reinforce a lot of the values that […]
Producing Racist People
Photo by Smart Expressions There was an interesting Newsweek article entitled, “Is Your Kid a Racist?” It caught my attention to say the least. What parent wants to raise their child as a racist? I guess there are probably some but that is for another blog entry. If a parent knew […]