KSC’s Blog

Louie Giglio of 722 spoke at a conference recently about prayer and said that we have these Christian cliches that we need to really examine. He shared four remixed versions of typical cliché prayers many Christians regularly pray. This is what he proposes in our prayers:
Instead of “Forgive me,” pray “Thank you for forgiving me.”
Instead of “Bless me,” pray “Let us bless you.”
Instead of “Lord, be with us,” pray “Lord, live through me.”
Instead of “Protect us,” pray, “use me.”
I really resonate with this … it’s so subtle and …

Chris Tomlin‘s new album is incredible! I have been listening to it non-stop for the past couple of days and it’s just getting better and better.
These songs are amazing:
Indescribable
How Great is Our God
Unfailing
My favorite is “How Great is Our God.” I can’t get the song out of my head:
“How great is our God / Sing with me / How great is our God / All will see / How great, how great is our God.”
I just blast this song so loud in my car and just sing …

Today is Ash Wednesday. What is Ash Wednesday? It’s the first day of Lent. That means there are 40 days before Easter Sunday (not counting Sundays).
Traditionally, churches have a service on Ash Wednesday and the participants are “imposed” with ashes marked on their forehead (in the form of a cross). Usually a Scripture is used from Ecclesiastes 3:20: “You’ve come from dust, and to dust you will return.” It’s a day that we remember that we are mortal. That we are nothing …

A common question that a pastor is asked is, “What translation of the Bible should I use?”
It’s a good question, because there’s no right or wrong answer to it. In fact, the best thing that you can do is to compare translations (a method that all pastors/seminarians are all too familiar with!). You can learn so much from the different versions, and the English language is so blessed to have so many translations at it’s hand. The most common translation that you’ll find in evangelical churches is …

It seems like every website or blog seems to be telling us to donate to the tsunami relief fund through various organizations. It’s everywhere. People are giving “self-lessly” to these organizations to help the victims as they read and hear the news everyday. But here’s a reality – Many times when these disasters and crisis happen, people have that impulse to give, and that inital large fund reaches the country but many times those countries don’t have the people or structure to taken in and manage these …

Make at least one mistake a week …
Sound like a strange resolution? Well, it’s one that won’t have a hard to fulfilling. So then why make such a resolution? Because if I’m not making mistakes, I’m not trying anything new … I’m not risking anything … I’m not stretching, I’m not growing, I’m not learning. Although I make many mistakes a day, I want to make the purpose of my mistakes be that I’m not settling for status quo. In fact, I believe the biggest …

Although the Christian life is about transformation and the church is about changed lives, it’s incredible how most people don’t expect it. When we see people in the church and see no hope in them changing or even worse, when we, ourselves, get into a place in our life and walk that we feel like we could never change.
Sheldon Vanaulken wrote that:
The best argument for Christianity is Christians—their joy, their certainty, their completeness, their wholesomeness, their aliveness.
Guess what he says is the best argument against Christianity? Christians:
When …

Went to pick a tree with Kailey and Emily yesterday and they had a blast! They were weaving in and out of trees and finding them was like trying to find them in a forest! We finally got the “perfect” tree and dragged it into the house (needles and all). The kids were so excited! Christmas music was playing, Kathy was baking cookies, Kailey and Emily put all the ornaments on, and Nathan put the angel on the top of the tree. The best part …

Did you know that the early Christians were not even called “Christians”? In fact, the word “Christian” came later and it had a negative connotation saying “You followers of Christ!” The early Christians were known as followers of “The Way.” They were not known for what they believed, but how they lived their life! Get that? It was their “way of life” that people identified them, not their belief in God or Christ.
Sure, you must have that belief and trust in God in order to …

Had a defining moment the other day.
I don’t know how many times we have told the kids that the baby doll strollers stay in the play room and not in mom and dad’s room! It seems everyday! And it seems like they understand and it lasts for a day or two. Then you see it again and you have to tell them again. What bugs about it is that many times, that’s the first thing that I see in the morning when I get …