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) […]
E61: Santa Ana Calls
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. […]
E60: The Challenge with Churches
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 […]
E58: Japan, Persecution, and Ofunato, Part II
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 […]
E57: Japan, Persecution, and Ofunato
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 […]
E59: Used Teabags
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 […]
When Christian Leaders Disagree, Part II
<< 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, […]
Is Passion Overrated?
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 […]
Ep. 56: What do you have in your hand?
<< 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 […]
Ep. 55: The 85-year-old Sprout
<< 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 […]
Learning to question everything
Does God call us to blind obedience, or does He expect us to engage the intellect He has given us? It was fourth grade. Our class was working on globes made of balloons wrapped in papier-mâché. We traced the shapes of the continents onto paper and cut them out, then began to glue them into […]
Ep. 54: God Loves Chain-Smokers, Too
<< Previous Episode She was the last person you might expect to follow Jesus. But then again, so was the Apostle Paul. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at […]
Ransomed Life– relaunching November 1st
Ransomed Life will be on a short break as I prepare to relaunch it on November 1st, the first anniversary of this site and the 10th anniversary of my calling to ministry. Story episodes will continue, but in a new format. Stay tuned! Want to receive updates via email? Subscribe by entering your email address […]
Caught, not taught
The most valuable lesson I learned from one teacher wasn’t even part of the class. The seasons of life. I remember wedding season. As a young adult, I attended wedding after wedding as my peers kept deciding to tie the knot. It was fun. Cute slideshows. Prime rib dinners. The Macarena. Then came kids’ birthday […]
When Christian leaders disagree
What happens when two leaders have conflicting visions and convictions? Is only one of them discerning God’s will? While praying through a long stretch of unemployment in 2006, I received an impression that I would get paid to go to Bangkok and write a movie in June of that year. So when a producer contacted […]
Standing in the Gap
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV) The last thing I ever wanted was for my new bride to watch me go […]
When the signs aren’t there
I was on my way to a time of silence and solitude when I had to go through a roundabout. Not a fan of them. They’re messy, a free-for-all with cars entering and exiting at different points, trying to cross to their lanes without colliding with any of the others doing the same. What’s up […]
Light vs. Sound
How you live your life can be more important that what you have to say. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… (1 Peter 3:15 […]
E53: Bigger than the gods
<< Previous episode God is already at work in people’s lives, even if they’ve never stepped foot in a church before. “Hisako-san” is a walking miracle. Her eyesight had deteriorated to the point of blindness several years ago, and in 2010, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. When the […]
Episode 52: Lost and Found
<< Previous episode What we already have in our hands matters… but so do some of the things we have yet to hold. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thess. 5:16-19 NIV) During our first winter in northeastern […]
Episode 51: The Christmas Party
<< Previous episode Sometimes, we need to pause and remember why we do what we do. One of my least favorite tasks in ministry is event planning. Don’t get me wrong– I love the actual events. It’s planning them that stresses me out. Though it’s fun to think through what the event might look like […]
Ep. 42: Prodigal Father’s Day
<< Previous episode Catching a glimpse of the Father’s joy. Traveling with young children is not in my top 10 list of favorite things. It’s enough of a hassle traveling alone: checking in, going through security, boarding the plane and trying to situate yourself while irate passengers brush past in a huff. The stress level […]
When Ministry Interrupts Ministry
I haven’t posted anything new in nearly a month now. My apologies to my dear readers who have been awaiting the next episode in the story of my Ransomed Life. Three things have kept me from posting: 1) I’ve just been busier than usual lately; 2) it has been difficult for me to write the […]
Spring Break
Hey everyone, In honor of Holy Week, we’ll take a break from posting and resume next Monday, March 28th. Thanks for following! By the way, you can receive new blog posts directly in your email by signing up in the subscription box on the right side of the website. Pray on, Stephen
Intermission: an important disclaimer
<< Previous Episode I know my story is crazy. I just wanted to remind y’all before we keep going. The next episode of my story marks the beginning of my family’s calling to Japan. It’s an entirely new chapter of my life– it’s almost as though all the episodes leading up to this point are […]
Ep. 23: The Power of Forgiveness
Why cling to bitterness when you’re the only one who tastes it? << Previous Episode After my initiation into deliverance ministry, I began to meet with more people to pray for them, and while most people never manifest spiritually the way Jordan did, I did notice how many people were oppressed due to lingering bitterness […]
Ep. 14: The Porpoise-Driven Life
<< Previous episode I was a new believer, on fire for Jesus, eager to do something for God. I talked to pastors to get direction. I read the Bible. I prayed. All the while, I’d ask God what I could do for Him, and through it all, I’d receive no clear answer. Frustrated, I decided […]
Why I wouldn’t say “Merry Christmas”
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God is with us”). Matthew 1:23 NIV I took a break from blogging for several weeks last December. One of the reasons was the San Bernardino attack of December 2, 2015. I didn’t feel that posting about […]
#sanbernardino
Hey y’all, I’m taking a break from posting new episodes of my story today, in light of the recent tragedy in San Bernardino. I used to live in Loma Linda, which borders San Bernardino. The shootings took place just a few miles from my parents’ house. The Inland Regional Center is near the Sizzler where […]
And so it begins
It’s still November 1 in my time zone as I write this. For some, it’s the day after Halloween, and for others, it’s either Reformation Day or All-Saints’ Day. As for me, November 1, 2006 is the ninth anniversary of my first day in full-time ministry. I thought it’d be perfect day for me to […]