Discipleship has many stages. Like in marriage, we go from infancy to maturity only if we’re willing to become “one” with our partner. It requires a “letting go” of our individuality so we can embrace a new identity together. Married couples who continue to live like singles never experience what the bond is intended to [...]
Category: identification with Jesus
Feeling the Pressure?
We’re not sure how Jesus was feeling when He said it. Was He sad? Frustrated? Stressed out? Or just lamenting? Whatever the case, it was a heads-up moment for His disciples—a foretaste of what lay ahead for them. In Luke 12:50 Jesus says, “I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under [...]
I Have Called You Friends
Do you cringe when you declare “Jesus was fully human”? Many Christians do. We’re afraid that, in saying this, we’re somehow undermining the equally true statement “Jesus is fully God.” But, the truth is, we must recognize the vital role His humanity played in securing our salvation if we want to fully grasp our spiritual [...]
History Makers
Most of us long to be significant … to contribute something that’ll make a positive difference in the world. I remember studying psychologist Abraham Maslow’s theory about human motivation when I was in college. His chart—called the hierarchy of needs—was a triangle. The large base was made up of basic physiological needs like breathing, food, [...]
It’s Not Fair!
A sense of justice that transcends culture and time is hardwired into all of us. We don’t like inequity. Our blood boils when we see one person oppressing another just because they’ve got more power or prestige. When Tony and I were raising our kids, our middle daughter was acutely tuned into justice—family style. Whenever [...]