New Life Blog

Maundy Thursday. Jesus is betrayed, arrested, beaten. But before that. Before the cross. Before the stone rolled away. Jesus fell to the ground in a garden called Gethsemane and begged: "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me." (Luke 22:42)   He's in agony. His sweat is...

Ever read something and thought, “Wow, I know exactly who needs to hear this”? I think it all the time. And as a pastor, I hear it all the time after a sermon:   “That was a great sermon, Pastor! I wish my ____________ was here to hear it.” [You fill in the...

Hello! Have you ever known a super-Christian before? I’m not being facetious (this time).  Seriously, have you ever known someone that was like…a step above most Christians? They aren’t prideful about it. Not “holier-than-thou.”  But they just walk in...

It’s January 1st, so let me ask you…what’s your resolution? Diet and exercise? Be nicer to people? Spend more time at home with the kids? Eat less donuts? Start reading these emails? I joke every year about how seldom we actually follow through on our resolutions and how we...

This week, I’ve been reflecting on something that is both incredibly simple and deeply challenging: forgiveness. I’m sure we’ve all heard Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14-15: For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do...

Have you ever said something you regretted and thought, what just happened? Why did I say that? We all know the guy (or girl) who constantly lets stuff leak out of his mouth that shouldn’t (whether it’s filth or judgment or discouragement). But why is it so hard to control what comes...

There's a famous passage in Philippians that you may have heard before -- "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:21). I've been thinking about this verse recently.   Just before it, the Apostle Paul writes that what has happened to him (imprisonment, beatings...