ThinkTheology.org

Biblical, theological, & practical reflections from the trenches.

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Photographic Memory/It's a Trap!

Photographic Memory/It’s a Trap!

“But one thing I do: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us (Philippians 3:13–14).” Memory can be a tricky thing. Case in point: a family reunion, when relatives reminisce about childhood memories. It starts so innocently. A warm summer’s day in the…

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Windblown

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:13–14).” The desert sun, blistering and merciless, beats down on the Traveler. He pauses, shielding his eyes with one hand as he scans the horizon. The dry, searing wind raises another dust…

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A Pledge of Allegiance to Jesus the King

A Pledge of Allegiance to Jesus the King

I pledge allegiance to the Son, the King of God’s kingdom,And to the Father and the Holy Spirit, with whom He is one,One Lord, one faith, one baptism,With unity, mercy, and justice for all.Amen

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My Missional Reading List

My Missional Reading List (Recommendations)

I’ve been on a missional reading journey for a number of years now, and I thought it was time that I share some of my favorites with you all. The Forgotten Ways By Alan HirschIt all started for me here, and this book changed my life forever! After 25 years of serving in what Hirsch calls the “attractional evangelism church growth” model, I began to question nearly everything I thought I had…

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Prayer For Women Like Us - Book Review

Prayer For Women Like Us - a Book Review

Prayer for women like us: Prayer Book & Journal For Exotic Dancers

Wait, what? You can do that?!? If you’re ex-stripper, Pastor, and author Monica Gary Sr. – yes you can!

Full Disclosure: Monica is a friend and a missional ministry partner. But I can tell you that she is the real deal. She has been through the ringer, found Jesus, climbed out of a dark pit, and lived to tell about it. But…

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Some Reflections after Four Years of Following Jesus Outside of Institutionalized Christianity

Some Reflections after 4 Years of Following Jesus Outside of Institutionalized Christianity

That’s right. It as was October-December of 2016 when I made the transition from Institutional Church (IC) to Missional-Organic Church. Thought it might be nice to post some thoughts on the journey thus far.

1.) ITS HARD – Yep! I don’t know what else to say. Its just hard. And lonely. Many of your friends will look at you like you’re crazy. “Why would you not want to have professional…

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Stay Focused

Mark (p. 1776) They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Books*)

“and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39 (ESV)

Who is Jesus? The disciples don’t know at this point. They are clueless – even they don’t understand His parables (p. 1775). But the clues are coming in: His family thinks He’s crazy. The religious leaders from Jerusalem think…

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The Longer Ending of Mark: What's a Disciple to do with that? (Follow Me - Part 77)

The Longer Ending of Mark: What’s a Disciple to do with that? (Follow Me – Part 77)

Mark 16:9-20 The Church finishes John Mark’s “incomplete” ending

Last timewe looked at John Mark’s original ending of his gospel (Mark 16:1-8), with his account of the empty tomb. But now, herein lies the rub! The modern/post-modern scholarly consensus is nearly unanimous in it’s assertion that verses 9-20 did not come from Mark’s pen – they are a later insertion. Most current translations…

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The King is Risen! (Follow Me - Part 76)

The King is Risen! (Follow Me – Part 76)

Mark 16:1-8 Jesus is Risen

Last time Jesus body was laid in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea, the stone was rolled against the entrance, and the two Marys “saw where he was laid” (Mark 15:46-47). It is now Sunday morning. The sabbath is over and the three women (cf. Mark 15:40) can now go to the tomb and anoint the body (Mark 16:1-2). It is veryearly! The sun has just risen, not yet full…

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The King is Buried (Follow Me - Part 75)

The King is Buried (Follow Me – Part 75)

Mark 15:42-47 The Burial of Jesus

Jesus died on the day before the Sabbath at about 3pm, and evening is approaching (v. 42). If He is going to be buried, and not hang on the cross (bringing desecration to the land, and during the Passoverat that) then it needs to happen quickly. For Sabbath begins at sunset! And the Romans could care less. They would leave a corpse on the cross for days to…

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The King is Dead (Follow Me - Part 74)

The King is Dead (Follow Me – Part 74)

Mark 15:33-41 The Death of Jesus

The previous passage takes place between 9 AM and 12 noon. It is now high noon (v. 33) and it’s dark for three solid hours(until the moment of Jesus’ death) – a symbol of God’s judgment (Amos 8:9) and eschatological fulfillment (cf. Amos 5:18). At 3 PM the silence is broken (as the darkness is lifted) with a loud cry from Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1 in his mother…

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The Unexpected King

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem…”

God is so unexpected, and God shows up in the unexpected. And these times are so unexpected. In the midst of this pandemic, I’ve had the chance and the space to connect with God more than I have in a long time, and I’m still trying to figure out what God is doing. God definitely didn’t cause this crisis, and this…

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The Unexpected King

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem…”

God is so unexpected. And these times are so unexpected. In the midst of this pandemic, I’ve had the chance and the space to connect with God more than I have in a long time, and I’m still trying to figure out what God is doing. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and if you know anything about me it’s that I love to prepare…

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The King is Crucified (Follow Me - Part 73)

The King is Crucified (Follow Me – Part 73)

Mark 15:21-32 Jesus is Crucified

Last time Jesus was mocked by the soldiers of Pilate’s battalion. And now they conscript Simon of Cyrene to carry the crossbeam for the severely weakened and exhausted Jesus (v. 21). His sons, Alexander and Rufus, are mentioned because they were members of Mark’s community (the original recipients of this gospel). Whether or not Simon was a later convert to…

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Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths     for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk     through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

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An Open Letter to my Friends in the Organic Church Movement - #COVID19

An Open Letter to my Friends in the Organic Church Movement – #COVID19

Dear friends, house church leaders, organic church practitioners, and adherents of the simple church model,

I am one of you. I left the Institutional Church (IC) in 2016, and have been on the journey with you of exploring what it means to practice Christianity outside of traditional church structures and models ever since. I share your concerns over the problem of church hierarchy, overbearing…

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What's with all the Buzz about #APEST? - A Book Review of 5Q by Alan Hirsch

What’s with all the Buzz about #APEST? – A Book Review of 5Q by Alan Hirsch

Full disclosure up front: I love Alan Hirsch! He is one of my favorite authors and missional thinkers/leaders. His book, The Forgotten Ways, literally changed my life. But enough about that.

In 2017, I walked out of the Missio Alliance conference with an armful of books, and when I posted a picture of my new stack of missional books on Twitter, Alan replied, ‘let me know what you think’ –…

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