Walking Through the Fire

There’s a strange thing that can happen when you’ve been around church long enough: you get good at sounding like a Christian. You know the words. You know the posture. You know the rules. But sometimes, even when we are religiously fluent, we miss the point. In this second entry in the  Love is a Verb  series, I’m reflecting on something I see in Scripture — and try to be aware of in myself: it’s easier to talk about following Jesus than it is to actually follow Him. In Matthew 7, Jesus said something that ought to stop us in our tracks:  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). That’s not about perfection — it’s about direction. Following Jesus is more than showing up to the right places or holding the right opinions. It's more than saying the right things or hanging around the "right" people. The real evidence of our faith is found in how we live, how we love...

After more than two decades in ministry, I find myself walking through fire again — not one that consumes, but one that refines. This season has brought a fresh sense of urgency, and a deeper invitation to walk with God into unknown places. Here’s a reflection on where I’ve been, what I’m learning, and what I believe God is calling me to— and maybe all of us — in this moment. I've been in ministry long enough to know that I don't know everything — but also long enough to have experienced the sweetness of God’s hand in my life. The refinement I’m experiencing is not one that brings discouragement or disillusionment. Rather, it’s a refining fire that leaves me encouraged. I’m in a season where the familiar somehow feels unfamiliar, where God’s call still burns in my heart… but differently than before. It feels deeper, quieter — and yet more urgent. The Unlikely Call I don’t have the familiar story so many of my friends share about an early call to ministry. In fact, my call came...