January 2012 – Page 5 – 300 words a day

Out of the Salt Shaker

When people have been following God for a long time, it’s easy to stay in our bubbles. Most of the time, we don’t like to be challenged. But God has called us to make a difference in our world. We have to get out of our bubbles. Or out of the saltshaker. Jesus says we […]

by Jon Swanson

Don’t plan. Prepare

I’m built for the second chair. That’s the associate, the person that helps accomplish the vision, that makes sure the room is ready, that helps the stories be told, that translates. I love this calling. But I have a hard time planning, at least in the way that people who run their own companies and […]

by Jon Swanson

12 ways to understand being a disciple for 2012

From my 1.1.12 sermon: You could be baptized. You could start to understand that God doesn’t want us all to be the same. He proves that by not making us all the same. For some of us, that means that we have the freedom to not try to be someone else. For others of us, that means we have […]

by Jon Swanson

disciple – bumper stickers and preschoolers

A disciple is a follower. That part is simple. A disciple of Jesus would be a follower of Jesus. That’s pretty simple, too. Except for the challenge of following someone who is invisible. And someone whose name has been used pretty freely to endorse all kinds of products and projects and programs. When Jesus was […]

by Jon Swanson

disciple 2012

It’s tough to know how to feel about the start of a new year. We’re somewhere between “It’s a completely fresh start” and “it’s just another day.” But it does give us a chance — at least symbolically– to understand that it is possible to start fresh, to have forgiveness, to make new choices. To […]