living in the light of God's grace
<< Previous episode I’ve been avoiding this episode for over five months now. Every time I sat down to write it, I’d choke mentally and walk away from the computer, or I’d write about something else. I suspect that I was subconsciously hoping to avoid reliving one of the most difficult seasons of my spiritual […]
What are you thankful for? There must be something. There is always something to be thankful for, even in the midst of trials and pain. This is not to minimize anyone’s pain or encourage a facade of happiness. I wouldn’t do that, especially not after posting about lament just a few weeks ago. Laments may form […]
Hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? You might be ripe for a spiritual attack. But what is it, and how does it work? It was one of those days. I had a long day at work, followed by a stressful commute that took longer than usual and involved more than one close call, fraying my nerves. […]
Definition of Lament: intransitive verb : to mourn aloud; wail transitive verb : to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively : to regret strongly (from the Merriam-Webster dictionary) I had to write a personal lament for a seminary class. It wasn’t hard. At all. Not after an emotionally draining week. Last Thursday, my […]
Feeling discouraged? Maybe you just need a nap. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. (Psalm 127:2 NIV) It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. It’s not that I have nothing to say. I have a lot to share. I […]
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Cor. 12:26-27 NIV) Oh, Houston. My heart aches for you when I see the images. Water. Everywhere. Homes […]
What lessons can a divided church learn from the 1st century church? Members of my church’s men’s and women’s groups take turns writing devotionals each week, going through books of the Bible verse by verse. We are currently on 1 Corinthians. When my turn came up the other day, my assigned passage was 1 Corinthians […]
What good is faith if it doesn’t inform the way you live? I collect toys. I used to collect so many, it was pathetic. Or awesome, depending on how you look at it. My old room at my parent’s house looked like a booth at Comic-Con, stocked floor-to-ceiling with action figures, vehicles, and playsets, mostly […]
What happens when you serve others while trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit? << Previous episode He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not […]
<< Previous episode What’s the point of arguing? I guess it depends. When two people have a disagreement but both are willing to hear and consider the other person’s perspective, an argument (or should I say, “heated discussion”) can be constructive. But when one or both of the parties involved are unwilling to hear the […]
My father passed away exactly one month ago today. I was at a retreat this morning, and as much as I had been looking forward to it, I found it difficult to engage fully. I found it challenging to sing songs of worship, even though my mind was agreeing with the lyrics on the screen […]
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55 NIV) It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. Life has been more hectic than usual these days. In early April, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Shocking, as he wasn’t a smoker. My wife, kids, and I […]
For most of my life, I have struggled with the question, “Who am I?” And I’ve been buying the wrong answers from the enemy, who is in the business of spiritual identity theft. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s. Not the easiest time or place to be Asian. And to complicate […]
What motivates you to do what you do in the name of Jesus? << Continued from the previous episode No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12 NIV) May 2015. It was my last tai chi […]
Before the harvest–even before cultivation, planting, or sowing–there must first come the hard work of tilling the soil. << Previous episode Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray […]
Going “home” after two years was harder than I thought. << Previous episode Two-thousand-fifteen. It had been nearly two years since my family left California for Japan. What would this experience be like, I wondered, as my flight from Narita began its descent into LAX on a Friday afternoon in April. It turned out to […]
Disaster relief work in Japan may not look like a prerequisite for children’s ministry, but maybe God knew what He was doing when He called me to both. << Previous Episode When my then-home church invited me to interview for the role of children’s pastor, it may have seemed like it came out of left […]
Even with multiple confirmations, I still needed just one more… << Previous Episode Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” (Judges […]
Ever hesitate to follow God because you worry about the future? << Previous episode “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matt. 6:25 NIV) February, 2015. […]
Why does God give signs sometimes? << Previous Episode Our two-year assignment in Ofunato was coming to an end. Though I thought God would have us stay there longer, we were surprised to begin discerning a call to Santa Ana, California. What’s the relationship between Santa Ana and Ofunato? I have no idea. But I […]
If you knew that your time was short, how would you spend your days? << Previous Episode “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6 NIV) […]
After all the trouble it took to get us to Ofunato, was God really calling us to leave? << Previous episode Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. […]
Is church all about the numbers? Part 2 of my case for tent-making. << Previous episode Before going to Japan, I was on staff at a church of nearly 2,000 people. We met in a 65,000 square-foot warehouse located in “America’s Safest City.” I think this would qualify it as being a megachurch, though it […]
When God highlights a specific place, it’s likely He has already been at work there. << Previous episode While researching my previous post on the history of Christianity in Ofunato, I learned of the San Juan Bautista Museum in Ishinomaki, which features a full-sized replica of the ship that Date Masamune, feudal lord of Sendai […]
Silence is a gripping novel, and now, a major motion picture. How does its subject matter relate to Ofunato? << Previous episode A few local friends came over to our volunteer base for dinner one night, and one of them started singing the ubiquitous Disney song, “Let it Go,” in an unfamiliar language. This friend told […]
Ministry work requires financial accountability and good stewardship of resources. But how far is too far? << Previous episode The disaster relief and recovery network we served with in Japan would often receive a ton of donated items for our volunteer bases to distribute to tsunami survivors along the coast. Items included everything from socks […]
<< Part I Fight or flight? Three different friends of mine recently encouraged me to read A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards, who challenges the reader to identify which king he or she is most like: Saul, David, or Absalom. Certainly, no one wants to be identified with Saul, who was jealous, angry, […]
Does God call us to pursue our passions? I used to organize a premarital class, and in every session, someone was bound to ask the question, “What do you do when the passion dies?” Passion. It’s overrated. Sure, passion is exciting, infectious, and contagious. Passion is synonymous with desire, obsession, and zeal. When one thinks […]
<< Previous episode God can use what you already have. Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. (Exod. 4:2 NIV) Moses had a staff. David had a slingshot (1 Sam. 17:40). A little boy had five small barley loaves and two small fish (Jn. 6:9). What […]
<< Previous episode Three points on sharing the gospel as a lifestyle, not a project. He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All […]
