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There may be no more important question that someone can ask you. “Who are you?” How do you answer it? One man answered it this way: If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. — Saul of Tarsus Paul was the man. He was as good as it gets. He knew he was. He could answer this question without hesitation or doubt. Then he met Jesus andRead More →

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There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem!Read More →

Ypsilanti Church Hope

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I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. 3 When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah 4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago. 6 I said,“Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search: 7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? 8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promisesRead More →

Ypsilanti Church | Road Trippin

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It is no secret that I love baseball. It is my son’s chosen sport. He loves to play and I have grown to love it as well. As with most anything I do, I haven’t gone half way on my engagement with baseball. I love the history and I enjoy learning how to help my boy become better and better. Over the years I have seen a large number of baseball games from youth levels up to the professional. I have come to appreciate defense and pitching much more than the offensive aspect of the game. Baseball Tonight’s “Web Gems” is one of my favoriteRead More →

Ypsilanti Church Hope

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Focus – Sending The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti is one where we have sending as our telos. We are focused on how we move from being far from God to being on mission with God. We realize that discipleship has sending as a necessary end. Therefore, all we do must be reproducible at the micro and macro levels. What we do as a gathered community, we must be able to do as a sent community. Strategy – Saturation A sponge is a remarkable thing. It will receive as much water as it can hold. What happens next? It overflows. It overflows all over the place.Read More →

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Over the last few years I have come to really enjoy smart, well written, dramatic television. I love the fact that the story is not capped in 120 minutes. It is able to be developed, often very intricately. Right now we are enjoying shows like Once Upon A Time, PanAM, The Firm, and Touch. Touch is a fascinating storyline. This show is attempting to work out the theological idea of providence. Providence can be defined as, “divine guidance or care, God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny”. But, what if there was no God? Touch seems to start there. The “universe” isRead More →

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Our family watches American Idol. For some folks this is an abomination. Bear with me. Keep reading. One of the singers this year is a girl named Angie Miller, as far as I can tell she is a follower of Jesus. Over the last few weeks she had been taking a lot of heat from the judges. In particular during “rock week” she performed in a “sexy” way and was called out by Nicki Minaj (the irony is thick with that I know). This past week (April 10, 2013) she “got back to her roots”. She sang at a piano. She a spiritual song. ItRead More →

Flat White

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Over the last few months I have committed to spending time at a particular coffee shop. As often as I can have appointments there, I do. If I need a place to study I head there. If I ever write a book, my guess is it will be written there. To be honest though, I really miss my office. I really enjoy going to an office where I have bookshelves (oh blessed bookshelves!) and a door and my chair. It also has a door that can be closed. In my office were great people who loved Jesus and I could go out there and just beRead More →

Ypsilanti Church Hope

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Thursdays I spend time with many of the significant leaders of The Antioch Movement. I was driving home this past Thursday and rejoicing over the reality that I don’t feel alone. Yet, in that joy I remembered something I had written a couple of years ago and realized how much God has changed me. I am so grateful that he has brought me to a place where I am not hiding anymore. I am embracing openness and it is amazing. Here’s the post… Loneliness, according to Dan Allender in Leading With a Limp, is one of the things that any leader will bump into. He canRead More →

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This past weekend the Disney Channel showed all three of the Toy Story films. The most poignant moment in each movie for me is when the key character looks at his foot and sees Andy’s name scrawled there. It is the reminder that he needs of who he is and who he belongs to. A person’s identity is critical to his self understanding. It defines what he does and how he does it. It shapes everything about him. Who we understand ourselves to be is the answer to our fundamental question of why are we here. So who are you? Whose name is on the bottomRead More →