Life gets so noisy sometimes that we forget to look beyond our own thoughts. Others encouraged me to dive into a couple of books… +++ God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life, by Timothy Keller I’m part of a men’s group with my church. It’s an amazing community of people who have become real friends. We intimately […]

Our culture tells us that when we have no rules, we can be ultimately free. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it […]

Reflections on the costs of following Jesus and on the true cost of asking God for what we want

This post originally appeared in February 2022. We’re reposting it, since Paul Merrill is on vacation. +++ I have a really old pair of shoes. I keep them by our front door and only wear them to take the trash out. The stitching has worn out in several places. The soles are maybe the third […]

Heather and I recently switched churches. We loved the church we left, but we needed some spiritual refreshment. We spent many months in prayer and in discussion about whether we should stay or go. We left on good terms – and even got the blessing of the pastors of the church we were leaving. And […]