MOST POPULAR POSTS:

A Prelude to Forgiveness (5/31/12)
Forgiving is one of the hardest things to do. I haven’t perfected the ability to forgive. But I have learned some invaluable lessons that help when you’re thinking you might forgive… maybe.

Saints Betta Have My Money (6/16/14)
Here’s my story of what happened when I stopped tithing for a whole year.

Smart People Problems  (8/7/12)
Is it possible to be intelligent and saved at the same time? Because I think they may be mutually exclusive.

4 Ways Christians Can Cope With Gay Marriage (6/27/13)
With the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage, it’s almost certain the Christian community will mourn where the LGBT community will celebrate. But here are a few things that may help smooth out this rough patch.

How Titties Almost Got Me Saved (8/11/13)
Raucous and irreverent on the outside. Inspiring and true on the inside. Are you ready to take Christianity seriously again?

 

ABOUT BELIEVING:

Why I Believe In God (3/20/12)
I discuss doubt at length, so lest you think I’m an abject, unredeemable heathen, here’s my testimony of how I became a Christian in the first place.

By Your Side: A Devotional (9/4/12)
When my faith gets really low, one of the things that really lifts it is the lyrics of a Sade song that seems to line up quite nicely with some key scriptures in the Bible. Themes: love, encouragement.

Stop Making Sense (2/19/13)
“Faith is like poetry. Slow ass, belabored poetry.” It takes a lot longer than I like to understand some things about faith, but it can be really worth it. Themes: poetry, Talking Heads, Joni Mitchell, logic.

Worship, Unconscious (11/12/12)
God is not dead, but most days he appears to be sleeping soundly, deeply. If someone you loved was unconscious and nonresponsive, what would you do?

 

ABOUT DOUBTING:

For Believers Who Have Considered Apostasy When Faith Isn’t Enuf (3/28/12)
If you’ve ever questioned your faith enough to want to throw it all away, this post is for you. Themes: agnosticism, missions, Hell.

If, Then, But & Other Things You Said (8/28/12)
Christians are often taught that there is power in the Word of God, but there seem to be loopholes and exceptions to the rule of how this power works if we have it at all. Themes: authority, contradiction, belief, control, doubt, faith, fatalism, sovereignty

The Darkest Night (1/20/13)
What if there is no afterlife, and once we die, the lights go out and our stories just END? This explains my doubts and looks for a resolution. Themes: dark night of the soul, crisis of faith.

God and the Silent Treatment (2/6/12)
Has Jesus ever given you the cold shoulder? Felt like your prayers were bouncing off the ceiling? Me too. Themes: Holy Spirit, authenticity, prayer.

 

OTHER ESSENTIAL READING:

The Dirtiest Job In Church (5/5/14)
Hint: It’s not janitor. If you think it’s hard to be a Christian, try being chosen to coach a whole team of them.

Please Don’t Leave Me (4/22/13)
We view God through our experiences with people. This is a problem. A look at what happens when abandonment issues influence spirituality.

Deuces (1/5/12)
I am the co-founder of a very successful church, which I walked away from in Summer of 2011. This post begins to explain why.

In Memory of Robin Hill (11/6/12)
Love is greater than cancer. And friendship is greater than amnesia. Read this tribute to my friend Robin about putting friendship into action even in hard times.

Germophobia (6/14/12)
A short piece on how a caramel-skinned, curly-haired girl taught me that love can make you confident and brave.

Jesus, Why Can’t I Be a Secular Humanist? (9/25/13)
Church often taught me that secular humanism sought to “get rid of God.” But on examining a quick list of what they believe, it looks like the Christian church could benefit from a couple of those.

Dreams and False Alarms (6/3/14)
How one hopeful romance ascended in to the air like an airplane, and then crashed down tragically like every verse of Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia.”

Like a Child (4/15/12)
A blog about trying to find a childlike faith as a grown ass man.

Not Enough, but Compared to What? (2/29/12)
If we just wanted to be happy, that’d be easy. But we want to be happier than others which is hard… since we think they’re happier than they really are. Themes: confidence, comparison, self esteem, rejection, acceptance.

On Father’s Day: “I Had A King Once” (6/16/13)
A short tribute honoring the grandfather who raised me for 10 years after losing his wife.