Passing The Test Week 1: Tests, Temptation, and Trust: How God Uses the Wilderness to Shape Your Life
One of the most misunderstood questions in the Christian life is this: How does God actually work when things get hard? When you find yourself in a season of pressure, hunger, uncertainty, or struggle, it’s natural to wonder whether God is absent, displeased, or distant. Scripture, however, paints a very different picture. In fact, some…
Overflow Week 3: Am I Rich? Rethinking Wealth, Overflow, and the Life That Is Truly Life
There was a moment in my parenting journey that caught me completely off guard. My son was seven years old, and we were driving through town together, doing nothing remarkable. We passed a house with gates, manicured landscaping, and a four-car garage. Without hesitation, he looked over and said, “Whoa, those people must be rich.”…
Overflow Week 2: Why Poverty Exists in a World of Abundance and What It Reveals About Us
If you met Mary Kusake, you would notice her laugh first. She is the kind of child who loves to play with her friends, laugh loudly, and run with the fiery confidence that only kids seem to have. Her personality is full of life. She’s the kind of kid who lights up a room. But…
Overflow Week 1: Why Many Christians Still Live Spiritually Stagnant
As February begins to fade and the first hints of summer start to appear on the horizon, something interesting happens in our minds. We begin to imagine warmer days ahead. The snow starts melting, the sun lingers a little longer, and suddenly summer doesn’t feel so far away. For many people, summer brings with it…
Fresh Fire: How Hard Could It Be? Facing the Fires of Life with Faith and Purpose
“How hard could it be?” Those are famous last words. I said them before attempting to install a backsplash in my kitchen. After all, it’s just rectangles on a wall. How complicated could that be? Turns out, very. Anyone who has ever adopted a puppy, taken out a student loan at 18, or walked down…
Fresh Fire: Why God’s Fire Still Matters Today
The One Thing of Real Value You Can’t Find on Sale: Why God’s Fire Still Matters Today Every so often, a story surfaces that feels almost unfair in how lucky it is. A man buys a dusty painting at a flea market for four dollars, only to discover it is an original copy of the…
Fresh Fire: Why Your Spiritual Fire Was Never Meant to Burn Alone
There are a lot of things I love about being a dad. I love the cuddles. I love reliving my childhood hobbies through my son—because let’s be honest, Legos are still elite well into your 30s. But there’s one thing I didn’t expect to appreciate so deeply until becoming a parent: being alone. Alone time…
Fresh Fire: Why Spiritual Passion Fades—and How God Calls Us to Burn Again
There are places where passion is expected. Sporting events. Concerts. Celebrations. You walk in ready to cheer, shout, and feel something. Energy is assumed. Excitement is normal. And then there are places where passion would feel completely out of place. No one cheers at the DMV.No one pumps their fist in a dentist’s waiting room.You…
Fresh Fire, Week 2: What’s the Temperature of Your Soul?
If your life had a dashboard—like the one in your car—what warning lights would be flashing right now? Most of us know the feeling. A mysterious light turns on, stress spikes, and we’re suddenly aware that something beneath the surface needs attention. Dashboard lights reveal problems we can’t always see—but they’re also an invitation to…
Fresh Fire: The Essential Ingredient for a Living Faith
Every great dish depends on essential ingredients. Remove one, and no amount of creativity can make the recipe work. An omelet without eggs is no longer an omelet. Bread without flour misses the point entirely. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. When the essential ingredients are missing, spiritual vitality fades. But when they…