In Matthew 1, Jesus’ earthly father Joseph learned that his betrothed, Mary, was pregnant. You can imagine the absolute shock and sense of betrayal that Joseph must have felt. Matthew makes it clear that Joseph had been faithful in practicing physical restraint and that because he “did not want to expose her to public disgrace,
Carolyn and I enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner with family this past Sunday before heading to the mountains to celebrate Thanksgiving Day by decorating our cabin as we anticipate the beginning of Advent. I believe the greatest miracle of all time was Jesus’ birth: God Almighty willingly choosing to become God incarnate, God in the
Special guest blog by Sarah Rossetter, MD, a practicing physician who is currently working on her first book. Sarah lives in the greater Dayton area with her husband and children. Monday night, my husband and I ripped our three sleeping babies from their beds and sprinted downstairs to the most interior room in our basement. The
We are just days away from arguably the most heated and contentious mid-term elections in U.S. history. As I scrolled through the Apple newsfeed on my phone a few minutes ago, headlines ranged from “Trump escalates anti-immigrant attacks” and “Candidates in one competitive California district are enlisting veterans to deliver bitter, personal attacks,” to the
with Karen Perry Smith, Lead Facilitator, Passionate Churches LLC & Senior Executive Director, Ginghamsburg Church As Mike and I partner with churches through Passionate Churches LLC, one issue we frequently encounter is the lack of a defined discipleship pathway. Church leaders want to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, but they
The mandate given by Jesus to his followers was to take his authority to proclaim the counterculture Kingdom of God, to teach and demonstrate Spirit-empowered living, and to heal the sick and oppressed. As I have traveled the past 14 months consulting with churches throughout Europe and the U.S., I am witnessing some fresh alternatives
One of the pressing questions that I am asked as I meet with young church leaders is about the importance of having a clear vision for the churches they are leading. Vision is the most critical single dynamic in leading people to God’s preferred future. People commit to following compelling visions, not church programs. People
Mike Slaughter